A Child's Gift
by BedeviledME
Summary: Draco wanted to get away. He needed to get away from all the things that reminded him everyday of the mistakes he had made and the one he had lost. He found the perfect spot too, a small town in Wyoming, USA, a place called Nowhere. A perfect name as f
1. Chapter 1

****

One

Nowhere

The holidays were gone for yet another year. He felt dragged down, drained and hollowed out because of the damn season. Most holidays made him feel like that, but the Christmas season was the worst of them. He had always felt empty, dead inside; and the feeling remained with him, always lurking deep within, reaching even his soul. Each year grew worse than the last one. For the last ten years, it was always the same. Everyone around him became increasingly jubilant, generous, kind, and insufferably sweet. He hated it all, but most of all he despised the act he put on every year. The pretense of making everyone around him believe that he was of the same frame of mind, sapped him of every ounce of strength he possessed. The act strained him to his breaking point, allowing another dent to penetrate the armor he had slowly built around his heart and soul over the years. He no longer felt alive, as if he was already buried deep within his grave.

Every year, for the last five years, he had escaped the pressures of home after the holidays. Only this year, he had not retreated to his country home, or the house he owned at Rome. This year, he had come to a small little town called Nowhere, Wyoming, USA. He had purchased, on the spot, a two-story cottage, far up one of the smaller mountains that surrounded the town far below. It was a place where no one who knew him would ever think to look for him, and that was why he had chosen this place. He had not wanted anyone to know where he was, least of all his mother. He had wanted to escape her badgering more then anything else, but his main goal had been to simply disappear.

The house was perfect not only for its location, but also because it was not his usual flamboyant style. It was small enough to appear humble, but big enough to give him the space he was used to. The lower level of the cottage contained a living room, a kitchen, a laundry/pantry room, a den and a small bedroom at the back with a small half a bath next to it. The top half had the master suite, a guest room and two bathrooms. The master suite had its own private bath. Inside the master suite was a set of double glass doors that led to a small balcony and below that was a slightly larger deck area.

The view from the balcony was magnificently beautiful. The clearing in which the house sat was not small but neither was it large, making it the perfect match for the cottage. On three sides the forest shielded the house from the road and any neighbors, the closest of which was over seven hundred feet away in the direction of the town. A narrow opening to the left of the house allowed road access but he had no need for it and hardly ever noticed the small interruption between the trees. The area cleared of trees offered a magnificent view. It also offered a large drop to the bottom of the mountain or he assumed it did, since he had never actually looked over the edge to see for him self.

From the cottage, if he took the time to notice, which he never did, the village could be seen. It appeared as small as a doll's house and just as picture perfect as a Christmas postcard. The roof tops were covered with snow and the lights twinkled as if they were stars in the growing dusk. Rising above the town were mountains, tipped in powder and spotted with trees of every shape and size, also covered in snow. As the sun began to sink behind those mountains, it colored the sky in various shades of pink, violet and azure. The colors were so sharp and clear, they would have taken any other mans breath away. He saw none of this.

Winter's breath caressed his face with icy bitterness as he stood on the balcony, gripping the railing with his hands. Frigidly cold air sucked air from his lungs in sharp, small bursts. The thin, silvery-blue robe he wore did nothing to shield him from the harsh weather creeping its way over the land. He hardly noticed that his skin was changing from healthy pink, to wind whipped red, or that his body was slowly becoming numb. He neither cared about the blizzard growing ever closer nor felt its effects on his body. His thoughts were locked deeply inward.

He had long ago given up happiness and for a long time he had convinced himself that he was fine with that. However, each year his mother badgered him more and more to find someone, to settle down, to start a family. He had forsaken that life ten years ago, when he had let the only one who had ever been able to see past his exterior, slip away. He had made a fatal mistake and this was his payment for it, to live - but to never feel, to see happiness - but to never experience it for himself, to envy those who had love - but to never know it for what it was. He was only thirty years old, yet he felt as if a lifetime was already behind him; all because he was too proud, too arrogant and too distrustful to believe in the truths he should have known. His mistakes were his only achievements and because of them he was never going to be the person she had believed he could be.

It had taken him all of five minutes, after her tearful departure, to realize that she had been the best thing to had ever happened to him. He had messed it up as thoroughly in this relationship, as he had messed up his life. He had a history of screwing up when it most counted. He was no longer afraid to admit this fact about himself. He was no longer afraid to face the fact that he was a screw up. His school years were marred with his many mistakes. He had acted like such a spoiled, cruel jackass; he had been a spoiled, cruel jackass.

He had completely screwed things up in his sixth year, and because of it, he had endured enough loss and pain to last him more than a lifetime. The only redeeming thing he had ever done was sneak off to join the Order at the end of his seventh year. That was the only 'good' thing he could apply to his name. He should have recognized the good things he had then, but he had not seen any of it until she was gone. Just another regret to add to the many he had built up over the years. He was a fool and it had taken him years to see it.

Draco sighed. Thoughts of the past only made him feel worse; worse than how the damn Holidays made him feel. He had needed to get away and yet; here he was, unable to distance himself from his own troubled thoughts. The desire to run, to escape everyone and everything around him had been so great that he had not packed, he had simply left. He had not told his mother, his step-father, his siblings or his friends - I friends…ha! /I That thought made him laugh, a dry hollow laugh with no mirth. He had no real friends. He might have switched sides, he might have joined Harry Potter and fought along his side to the bitter end for two long years, but that had not changed the fact that he had no real friends. Draco Malfoy was no one's friend. To the world, he had not changed; even if he had fought along the side of the light; against the Dark Lord, instead of along side him.

It was not as if those he had fought along side with had not changed their view of him; some had, Harry and Ginny often had him over for dinner or asked him to join them in a BBQ, but they were not his friends. Or at least, Draco did not think that was how they saw him. How could they? After all the things he had done; because of all that he had done, he did not blame them. He was grateful to them for trying to include him, but he knew they did not do so because they truly liked him, but because they felt sorry for him. I Damn, when had he gone from being feared to being pitied? /I He hated it, yet whenever they asked him over he went because he had truly come to respect Harry Potter, though he would never admit it.

Draco came back to the present when a particularly nasty wind cut through him. He realized that he was wearing nothing, but a robe. His skin felt frozen to the core and his legs and arms were practically numb. He had been so lost in his own tortured thoughts, he had forgotten the simple fact that he was outside, exposed to the weather in the thin robe. Shaking his head over his own stupidity, he turned to go back inside. A movement in the left part of the woods made him pause. He narrowed his eyes in that direction and watched. Nothing moved. He shrugged and once more turned to go back inside. Now that he was aware of the freezing temperatures, he felt like he was nothing more then an ice pop.

Again he spotted movement in the woods. This time when he looked, he was not disappointed. A small, purple clad figure emerged from the trees. Not understanding why, Draco stepped closer to the railing to get a better look. The figure, a child, looked around, as if lost. As he watched the child, Draco noticed what she was wearing. The coat was purple, the pants lime green, and the boots mustard yellow. The head was covered in some weird floppy hat the color of teal and pink. On the hands were gloves of some kind, in shades of brown and orange. The figure looked as if he or she had not been able to decide on what color matched which color.

Draco did not exactly know what to make of the child. The truth was, children made him nervous. He might have been a child at some point in his life, but this in no way, made him feel closer to the younger generation. Children, at least the limited few he knew, tend to question everything and no matter what the answer they questioned that too. Children, simply put, made him uncomfortable.

As he stood there watching the figure, the child slipped and fell. Draco automatically winced, he had expected to hear wails of despair. Instead he heard a tinkling of laughter. The sound was soft, sweet sounding and filled with true joy. Unaware of it, his lips turned upwards in response. The fallen figure stood up and began to brush off the snow. As clearly as if the child stood next to him, he heard, "Well, that will teach you to go wandering off."

Another small jingle of chuckles wafted up towards him. "I can just hear Kim saying that too."

A low growl issued from somewhere in the woods. Draco felt a bolt of fear wash over him. The child stopped the attempts to brush off the snow. The head slowly came up and turned to look directly into the trees. Draco noticed then the long trail of hair streaming from underneath the floppy hat and realized the child was female. Even as he noticed this, another low growl emerged, followed this time by the animal from which was making the noise. Little by little, a large, black and gray animal materialized from the woods. The animal was so large, that even at this distance Draco could tell it was much larger then the girl.

The animal crept closer and closer to the apparently frightened girl. Fear made his throat feel tight, raw, and he was unable to move. He wanted to race inside for his wand, but his eyes were glued to the scene unfolding in front of him. He also, though he did not truly know the reason, did not want to leave the girl alone, as if his mere presence could save her. It was a silly notion, and he knew that just by standing there, he was not going to save her, but he could not get rid of that thought.

The growls stopped as the creature swiftly raced forward. Draco did not have time to think. One second the animal was just inching closer, the next it was upon the girl as if it had Apparated from one spot to the next. His legs came unglued and with no thought of his wand, he bolted over the railing, uncaring (at the moment) that the drop might break a few bones. Luckily, stupid, but still lucky, he landed easily on his feet. He was running almost before his feet hit the ground. He was almost upon the girl and beast when that sweet laughter penetrated his brain. He stopped, confused.

Why was she laughing?

He refocused on the scene. The animal had indeed jumped on the girl, but it was not ripping her to shreds as Draco had earlier suspected. In fact, the monster of an animal did nothing more than gleefully lick the girl's face. The girl was haphazardly trying to push the animal off, all the while, giggling. Draco, his bare feet buried deep in snow, watched in amazement as the girl and beast happily rolled around the cold ground.

At long last the girl cried out, "Enough Wicker. You win."

The animal, with what appeared to be a large grin, jumped back, sat down on its hunches, and stared happily at the girl. Draco, his mind clear now, could tell that the animal was some sort of dog, though first impressions had made him believe the animal to be an overly large wolf. The girl slowly sat up and looked at the dog. "You know Wicker, you shouldn't have done that. Mum is going to have a fit when she gets a look at us. We both look as if we took a dive in the river."

The dog chuffed lightly, almost as if he understood. The girl, her floppy hat bobbing, shook her head, "Don't give me that look, Wicker. You're just as much to blame as I am. Don't think Mum won't know that. Besides, Kim will go into a tangent because she'll have to clean up another mess made by us."

Once again the animal merely woofed softly and watched the girl. The girl sighed, but just as quickly, let out a stream of chuckles. "It was fun thought, wasn't it? Of course it was."

Draco, his feet starting to burn from the icy snow, suddenly realized that he was just standing there. Shaking his head, not understating why he was still there, he began to back away from the duo. He made sure to move slowly, so he would not alert the girl, or her pet of his presence. Once he was safely out of sight, he rushed to the back door and re-entered the house.

Hours later, as he slept he dreamed not of the little girl, but of the one that had gotten away; he always dreamed of her


	2. Chapter 2

-1**Two**

**Visitor**

Sunlight streamed through the bedroom window its warmth touched his face and woke him before he was ready to face the world. He had fallen asleep on the sofa in the living room the evening before only to be jerked awake from a nightmare. He had fallen asleep thinking about her, his dreams soon took over and twisted one memory with another. Draco's subconscious had taken his father's murder and put her in his place; instead of his father, he had watched her die in his place. That horrible vision had jerked him awake, his heart raced, he breathed hard and a silent scream in his throat.

He had sat there, trying to regain control over his emotions; he had decided that maybe a glass of Firewhiskey might help. However, he had not stopped with just one glass. He had gone on and drank every last drop of alcohol in the house that he found, even the cheap Muggle stuff that the realtor had stocked in the pantry. His overindulgence was the reason why he was far from ready to face the harsh realities of the day. The insides of his head felt as if a thunderclap of hammers was hard at work, his stomach also rolled about threateningly. When the light hit his face once again he threw an arm over it and wished for more sleep, probably even death. Anything was preferable to what he was feeling.

Based on the angle of the sunlight that slanted across the room towards him, Draco guessed the time to be somewhere around mid-morning. His usual waking hour was closer to five, before the sun was ready to waken the world, but this morning the sun was far more ready to face the day then he was. He only wanted to sleep away the ache in his head as well as the nausea in his belly. With that in mind, he carefully shifted so as not to disturb his protesting stomach, and away from the persistent sun. Grateful that he was finally able to clear his mind of all thoughts, sleep slowly began to sweep him blissfully away. Unfortunately, he was abruptly brought back by a loud bark, followed by a playful shriek.

He frowned. I _Was his mind playing tricks on him? /I _He wanted to sleep, yet he was positive he had just heard barking and laughing. I _Since when were dogs able to laugh? /I _The thought was impossible to comprehend since he did not believe dogs were able to laugh. In fact, what little he did know about dogs, told him that dogs had one sound, barking.

Another bark made him moan deeply. The bark was not enough though, for he heard the shouting next. Annoyed, he punched his pillow, which caused his head to roar further in protest and also his belly to flip some more. He took a few calming breaths and, tried to settle his stomach back into some resemblance of normalcy. The realtor, who had sold him the house, had assured him that the spot was very isolated, that he would not be disturbed if he did not wish to be. Well, he did not wish to be disturbed, yet someone was there, just outside his bedroom window, disturbing him. As the noises outside grew louder Draco recalled the girl and her dog from a few days ago. Maybe his head was not playing tricks, but still that did not mean he welcomed this intrusion.

_ I Why was the girl and her dog outside_? /I he wondered. I _Had she not been taught to respect others and not venture too near a private property? Well, I'll teach her. /I _ In one fluid motion; He ignored his body's complaints and got up from the bed. He had fallen asleep with his clothes on, having been too inebriated the night before to undress, thus he merely slipped into a pair of loafers and headed downstairs. He fully intended to tell the little girl and her enormous sized dog to go away and to never come back. Briefly, he considered the idea of placing a curse on her, but just as quickly discarded the notion. He did not want nor need any trouble with the Ministry of Magic; he would definitely get into trouble if he cursed some annoying Muggle child.

That in mind, he decided that yelling, maybe even scaring her, was what the situation called for. Hopefully he would be scary enough that she would never come back. As he thought about what he was about to say to her, he yanked the door open. His plan failed him before he had a chance to implement it. The girl stood there, her tiny fist posed in the air, ready to knock on the door. The shock of seeing her there made him forget about his plan. There was also the fact that he had forgotten just how enormous her pet was. The animal stood right next to her. The dog was large enough for even a braver man to have thought twice about yelling at the girl. I _One small move against its mistress and /I _…Draco had decided that he did not want to discover just what the dog was capable of.

She grinned up at him, "Hello."

"What do you want?" His voice was low in deference to her pet but he still managed t sound mean.

"I live down there just, through the trees," she pointed, happily missing the tone of his voice. "I come up here all the time to play. This place was empty for a long time, but then yesterday I noticed smoke coming out of the chimney, so I decided to come and introduce myself."

"Consider yourself introduced. Now go away."

Her lips formed a small frown. "I haven't introduced myself yet. You're being very rude. Why?"

_ I Great, here were the questions children were so prone to ask, /I _he thought He looked down upon the child, "Because I can be and I don't want any visitors."

Still frowning she replied "Even so, you don't have to be rude about it."

Draco sighed heavily. He could tell she was not going to be easy to get rid of. "Fine. If I let you introduce yourself, will you go away then?"

"I might, but then I don't really want to go away, so I might not," she was back to grinning. "Can I come in?"

"No," he replied shortly and attempted to slam the door. The dog growled, very low and deep, Draco took a step back.

She only shrugged. "Okay," she then shouldered her way past him, the dog at her side. Since the animal was still looking like he wanted to take a bite out of Draco, he stepped aside.

"Hey," Draco exclaimed "I said no." She headed into the kitchen, and Draco was given no choice but to close the door and follow her.

When he reached the kitchen she was already removing her outer gear, as she placed her hat and gloves inside one of her coat pockets, she turned to him and said, "But you don't really mean it." She hung her coat on the back of a kitchen chair.

"I did to mean it," he snapped even as she made herself comfortable on the same chair.

She ignored him. "My name is Abby, this," she indicated the dog who had taken up residence under the table, "is Wicker. What's your name?"

"I don't have one."

In between giggles she said, "Of course you do. Everyone has a name. Mum says that if we didn't have names, we would become really mixed up and never know who was who."

"Will you leave, for God's sake?" It was more of a demand then a question. He moved forward only to stop when the newly introduced Wicker growled.

Although he had gotten close enough, she wrinkled her nose and commented, "You smell like alcohol. Have you been drinking?"

Giving up on getting rid of her he took a seat across from her and glared. "How is that any of your business?"

"I guess it's not, but I was wondering." She shrugged, "You're awfully grumpy. You should be nice."

"Really?" He raised a brow sardonically, "Why?"

"It's the polite thing to do." She looked around as she spoke. "It's nice here, but it's too white. Mum says that a white room is a disaster waiting to happen."

"I really don't care what your mother has to say." Facing the inevitable he asked, "Are you always this pushy and annoying?"

"I'm not pushy," she retorted, her tone indigent.

"Yes you are," he muttered softly.

She must have decided to drop the subject, but after a moment of silence she asked again, "So what's your name?"

Crossly, he repeated, "I told you, I don't have one."

"Well," she mused aloud, "I have to call you something, don't I?"

"No you don't," he assured her hastily, "you can leave and that would be the end of it."

For some reason she found that amusing and started to laugh. After a few minutes she said, "Well, if you won't tell me your name, I will just have to give you one." She placed a single elbow on the table and put her chin in her hand. "I'm gonna call you Mister M."

She had managed to get the initial of his last name, and that was startling enough to him to ask, "Why?"

"Well I _Mister /I _," she drawled, "it is because Mum says it shows respect to adults, M stands for mystery. Since you won't tell me your name, it's a mystery. See?"

"Oh." Another minute passed in silence. Finally, not able to take it anymore he asked, a little hopefully, "Do you plan on leaving any time soon?"

"Maybe."

Suddenly feeling the need to do something he stood up and turned to the counter. He spotted a tin teapot by the corner; he went over and picked it up. It was as far as he got. He had not made tea the Muggle way before and had no idea where to begin. He was completely at a loss.

She must have spotted the tea pot because she asked, "Are you going to make tea?"

Keeping his back to her he replied, sarcastically, "I haven't decided yet."

He heard her chair scrap across the floor and a second later she was at his side, she looked up at him. "You don't know how, do you?" She did not wait for an answer. She took the pot from his hand and started to fill it with water from the sink, "Mum likes to have tea when she comes home from work. I sometimes make it for her. Kim, she's my nanny, likes coffee. I tried making it for her once, but she said that mud tasted better," she paused in her speech as she carefully started the stove fire and placed the pot on top of the flames. "Kim can be very rude most of the time," with a grin she said, "Kim's a bit like you since you can be very rude too."

"Humph," Draco replied irritably. Her observation was not something he cared to think about.

She prepared the tea from that point on in silence; a few moments later, she placed a mug in front of him. She remained at his side as he reached for the mug and took a small sip. The flavor was soothing and had a claming effect on his stomach. Draco savored the taste, and allowed the liquid roll over his tongue. She had added something to it, but he was not sure what. It was as he took another swallow that he became aware that she still stood there, staring at him expectantly. He glared back.

At last she said, "You're supposed to say, thank you."

"If you say so."

Placing her hands on her hips she admonished him, "You're being rude again."

"Yep," Draco agreed hoping his continued rudeness would cause her to leave.

He was not surprised when she decided to instruct him instead. "Look Mister M, when someone does something for you, you should tell that person, I _thank you /I _. After that I would say I _you are welcome_. /I It's called manners, not to mention it's the polite way things are done."

She sounded so much like his mother he almost smiled. Instead he asked, "If I say thank you, will you leave?"

She glared at him and cleverly answered, "I'll stay here and annoy you forever if you don't say thank you. What do you think about that?"

He opened his mouth to respond when she suddenly shrieked. He blinked and asked, "What?"

She raced around the table and grabbed her coat. "I have to go. Kim's going to blow a gasket if I'm late again."

Before he knew it she was at the door, "Bye Mister M. I'll see you later."

Feeling as if he had just been hit with a stunning spell Draco's only thought was, I _I sure the hell hope not. /I _


	3. Chapter 3

-1**Three**

**Go Away**

The next day Draco was at the kitchen table, eating a light lunch of soup and crackers, when he heard the first bark. The sound caused him to moan slightly but did not actually surprise him. The little minx _had_ warned him that she would be seeing him. Her pet's bark was just the prelude to her appearance. He had prayed, (something he rarely did) she would stay away despite her obvious statement otherwise but of course, her behavior of the day before had not really given him much hope that his prayers would be answered. I _It doesn't matter /I , _he reminded himself, I _she's outside, I'm inside and that's the way it was going to stay. /I _ He had no intentions of opening the door so he was perfectly safe.

_ I Safe /I ,_ he thought sardonically,_ I why do I think I'm safe? I'm not afraid of her and I'm not in any danger from her so why do I think I'm safe. She's a pint sized Muggle child so it's not _safety_ that I feel it's… /I _ He shook the thought away. It did not matter as long as she remained outdoors, away from him. That comforting thought was suiting him just fine until a crazy, horrible thought filled his head. He had the sudden terrible notion that Abby was simply going to materialize inside the kitchen, right next to him. His next thought soothed his jumping nerves a bit, I _No, she's a Muggle and Muggle's cannot perform magic which means she cannot possibly get inside /I _

He jumped as the light tapping on the back door fell into the silence of the house. He wanted to smack himself, or better yet, her. He was just as annoyed with himself, as he was with Abby that he had reacted in such a way. A small Muggle child was rattling him so badly that he was jumping at her simply knocking at the door. She was no more then a sixty (if that) pound nuisance that he could easily get rid of with a flick of his wrist,yet she was making him feel as nervous as a school boy with Pre-O.W.L.'s fast approaching. He had to remind himself that he was bigger, stronger and a wizard as to where she was a small and weak Muggle.He hated that he had to even remind himself of that small fact but thankfully it did calm him a bit.

She tapped again, this time calling out, "I know you're in there Mister M, I can see your shadow on the wall."

Draco glanced up and over at the wall straight ahead of him. He silently cursed when he saw his silhouette outlined there. I _It doesn't matter /I , _he reminded himself for the hundredth time, I _and she can't force me to open the damn door. If I ignore her, sooner or later she'll grow bored and leave. I just hope its sooner rather then later. /I _

"Come on, Mister M," she called out beseechingly, "let me in. I won't stay long, I promise."

He could not take it and shouted, "Go away!"

"I will not," she retorted stubbornly, a hint of annoyance lacing her tone. "I will stay right out here until you let me in," she promised next.

"I don't plan on letting -"

Draco did not finish because even as he was saying it she was walking into the kitchen. Her infernal pet was close on her heels but when the animal spotted Draco, he came over to where he was sitting and sat back on his hunches, staring up at him with lake-blue eyes. Draco gave the beast a nasty look before turning the same look onto the dog's owner.

She merely grinned at him, "You didn't lock the door Mister M." She took off her outer gear and hung it on the chair across from Draco. She tilted her head as she observed out loud, "If you really wanted to keep me out then you would have locked the door."

He wished, just then, that he had thought to bring his wand into the kitchen with him. Then again, if he had, he would also be facing the Ministry of Magic and he did not want that either. He had not thought to lock the door because he normally would have set up protection spells on the house. He had not thought to cast any spells because he had not believed he would be set upon by anyone, let alone a small pip of a girl. He was in the middle of nowhere, practically on top of a mountain, for Pete's sake. No one in their right mind would think he or she would be besieged by anyone and their damn dog. He really and truly believed he was alone, or as alone as one could get where he was.

"What the hell do you want?" he demanded with a slight growl. He did not want the dog, who was inching his way ever closer as if he wanted to find out how well Draco's leg tasted.

"Wow, Mister M," she said nonchalantly in response to his disdain, "You really need to relax a little. You've got a serious case of the grumps. You know, if you don't relax you're gonna have a heart attack, sooner or later that is."

At the moment, a heart attack appealed to him, only he hoped she was the one to have it. "Leave," he ordered.

"Wow," she repeated, her eyes going round, "You are seriously grouchy."

"So you stated already," he was unable to keep from commenting dryly as she ignored his command and took the seat she had hung her coat on. He glared at her, trying to intimidate her, she only grinned back at him, nonplussed. She was more then a minx, she was a little devil in disguise with a bit of an imp mixed in for good measure.

Draco considered his dilemma for a moment and came to only one logical conclusion. Since she had no regard for his wishes, or his obvious desire not to have her around he would take a page from her book and ignore her. She did not seem to mind his rudeness (unless you counted her comments) or his nasty temper and so he would follow her lead and dismiss her. He was going to find out just how well she liked being ignored before she gives up and leaveshim alone. That in mind, he picked up the dropped spoon and went back to eating his soup.

"What are you eating?" she inquired after a moment. When another full two minutes passed and he had still not responded she sighed, "Why are you so rude?"

Forgetting his plan to ignore her, he demanded, "Why are you?"

She looked resentful over his question, saying, "I am not rude."

He knew he could argue the point and win but it was not really worth his time or effort. He was also supposed to be ignoring her which he was already failing to do. He shrugged, trying to appear as if he could care less and went back to his soup once more.

Abby was silent for so long that if he completely disregarded the fact that he could I _see_ /I her, he might have been able to forget she was there. At long last she sighed over dramatically and said, "Alright, I'll admit it. I I _can /I _ be rude but I really don't mean to be."

He kept silent unwilling to admit that she was amusing in any way but her confession had amused him. It had also surprised him because normally children did not admit to anything. At least, that was what he recalled from his childhood. Confession was supposed to be good for the soul but all it had ever gotten him was in trouble. He had stopped acknowledging his wrongs, even the small ones, at least out loud,** -** a long time ago.

"You know," she said into the growing quiet, "I've admitted to being a little rude, at times but do you always have to be so unfriendly?"

When he still did not reply she said, annoyed now, "I I _really_ /I don't mean to be rude. Mum says that I'm too forward because I have way more curiosity then is good for me. Kim, she's my nanny, she says that it's not curiosity but that I'm just a pest."

"Your nanny is right, you are a pest," Draco was unable to resist saying.

Her brow wrinkled as she denied, "I am not a pest. Kim's very wrong about that. My Uncle says that I'm an optimistic. He says that I see everyone as my friend and that I see the good in everyone and everything. He also says that it's a good thing though he's afraid it will get me in trouble some day, though I don't see how." She ended her little speech with a shrug.

"Your Uncle is being kind," Draco retorted, trying to keep from liking her. "What he really means is that you really are a pest, just as your nanny has been telling you."

"No he's not," she scowled at him, "My Uncle likes me and would never lie to me about anything. Kim doesn't like me though and she's always saying mean little things to me." Her scowl deepened and she said, "I think you need to take lessons on being nice."

Draco had to give her credit for her spunk. He also had to fight the urge to smile since she was entertaining. Forcing his expression to remain fixed in a scowl he said, "I am nice…to people that leave me alone like I've told them too."

With a look of resignation she observed, "Then I guess you're never gonna be nice to me because I don't have any plans to leave you alone, at least not right now."

He could not help it, he liked her. He was starting to like her anyhow. It was going to be nearly impossible not to like her when she was as quick witted as she was stubborn. She had more then spunk, she had a spark and a style most adults he knew could not boast of having. She was more then amusing, she was interesting and charming, and; the combination was something he had not seen in anyone in a very long time. He had not a thought about her being a Muggle. He had stopped caring about that years ago but that she was a child did cross his mind. Usually children caused him to feel odd and out of place, but for some reason he did not feel that with Abby.

Along with her stunning personality she had the cuteness factor working on her side. With a youthful, peachy-cream complexion, a perky little nose, wide full lips and wide slate-blue eyes, all of which was surrounded by tawny hair that curled down her back in disarray, she was more then cute she was bordering on becoming beautiful. Out of nowhere came the thought that there was going to come a day when Abby was older that the boys were going to flock to her like people did to Quidditch games. He was suddenly more then grateful that he did not have children, especially daughters.

The last thought abruptly gave Draco the strangest feeling, almost as if he knew Abby, but that was impossible. It was as if he had seen her before, somewhere, but he had only first laid eyes on her for the first time three days ago. Even so, he was unable to shake the sense that he was somehow connected to her. He studied her face, searching for why he suddenly felt as he did. She was watching him also, her slate-blue eyes glinting in the light, making them appear as if they glowed with inner light. He went over every inch of her face and could not find the answer there. It was annoyingly frustrating that he would not reason out why he suddenly thought he should know her. He was not able to shake the eerie feeling either.

She snapped him out of his thoughts when she asked, "Why are you looking at me like that?" She reached up and started feeling around her head with her hands, messing up the already tangled mass. Suspiciously she questioned, "Is there something wrong with me?"

The strange feeling left him as quickly as it had come over him. I _What the hell am I thinking? I don't know her, there is no connection and I only saw her for the first time a few days ago. I must be losing my mind. /I _ He cleared his throat and said, "No, nothing's wrong with you. I just started thinking a bit too hard."

"Whew," she said, sounding relieved, "That's great. For a second I thought I might have grown another head or something like that."

"Might be an improvement," he muttered, surprised over his desire to tease her.

She giggled, "That's what my Aunt always tells me. She's the prankster in the family. Well, she is as much as my other Uncles, but she does try, that's what Mum says."

Unexpectedly he discovered that he wanted to know more about her. With that thought he asked, "How old are you?"

"Nine," she replied, proud of the fact. "I'll be ten in November but that's still a long time off."

"You're awfully smart for nine," he mused aloud, not meaning to compliment her but doing so anyhow.

"Thank you," she beamed. "I like to learn which irritates my Aunt to some degree but it's not as if that's the only thing I like to do. I play sports and I do like a good joke. My Aunt says that I should remove my nose from the books once in awhile and I do, really, but I can't help but like to read."

Draco nodded to let her know he heard as he thought, I _She's simply charming, in a weird kind of way, but be damned if I'm going to tell her that. /I _ Out loud he said, "You know, I have heard you mention a few people in your family and even a nanny but I have not heard you say anything about you Father. Why is that?"

Abby opened her mouth to respond but a light rap on the back door stopped her. She swiveled her head in that direction and from the look that came over her face Draco could only draw one conclusion, whoever was at the door was not to her liking. Her whispered, "Oh no," confirmed his suspicions.

Draco became intrigued that there _was _someone who could intimidate the little spitfire. He stood and went around the table to have a look for himself. He glanced down through the pantry and out the glass paneled door. However, though he could detect someone was there, a woman, he could not clearly see her face. She was not looking inside to the house, but off to the side and a yellow scarf hid her lower jaw and mouth from view. He started to go to the door but Abby stopped him.

"Don't answer it, please. She's gonna be so mad at me."

"I have to answer it Abigail," he replied absently, still trying to get a clear picture of the woman. "She knows we're in here, hell, she probably saw you sitting here."

Abby made no other protest and Draco continued to the door. As he swung it open he asked, "Can I help you?"

The woman was replying even as she turned to face him, "Yes, I'm loo-"

His jaw dropped, " I _Hermione! /I "_

"Oh God," she whispered right before her eyes rolled to the back of her head and she fainted.


	4. Chapter 4

-1**Chapter Four**

**We Meet Again**

Draco somehow managed to catch Hermione before she toppled to the ground. Holding her by her arms he maneuvered her listless form then he cradled her neck and knees. She was not exactly heavy, but neither was she a lightweight. He turned, intending to cart her into the house where he could deposit her on the sofa in the living room. However, upon turning he found his path blocked by Abby and her cursed pet. He puffed out a breath in annoyance and commanded, "Move out the way Abby."

She shook her head. Her jaw was set at a stubborn angle as she braced her feet apart in a fighting stance and placed her tiny, balled fists on her hips. She did a fair imitation of a menacing scowl as she voiced her denial to move, "No. I won't move. Tell me what you did to my Mummy?"

The word I '_mummy_' /I made Draco's head spin around so quickly that he felt close to joining Hermione in unconsciousness. It literally felt as if someone had sucker punched him in the stomach, not only knocking the wind out of him, but also causing his entire body to go numb with shock. He tried to clear the swirling mess his brain had become, but shaking his head only made this sensation worse. It was also difficult to pull any air into his lungs. It was as if something was lodged inside his chest, some odd barrier that prevented oxygen from reaching its destination. After a long moment he managed to gain some control over his emotions and gasped in some much needed air.

When he managed to rediscover his voice it sounded as if he was speaking through a very thick blanket, "Nothing Abby. I did nothing to your…mother. She fainted, is all."

"Why?" Abby demanded tenaciously, still refusing to budge from her self appointed post as guardian. Wicker was a standing sentry right along side her, this made Draco hesitate from moving past her.

He was left standing there, feeling increasingly stupid and angry. It did not help that Hermione was growing heavier with each passing second. With a growl Draco lied, "I have no idea why she fainted." He had a I _very_ /I good idea why Hermione had passed out but he was not about to reveal that to Abby. Adding hardness to his tone he said, "Abigail, you have to move out of the way or I might just drop her… your Mother, on the bloody floor."

She flinched and moved; she walked ahead of him and then scooted to the side, out of his way. She spoke up to him, sounding irritated, "Don't call me Abigail and don't drop my Mummy."

Grateful to have her out of his way he said, "Whatever," and then, "close the door Abigail."

As he made his way through the kitchen he heard Abby mumbling, "Silly, grumpy, grouchy and stubborn. That's what he is. I tell him not to call me Abigail and the very next thing he does is call me that very thing. Adults don't listen."

Draco headed for the living room, a smile tugging at his lips. He censored his amusement over Abby's mutterings and entered the living room. Unceremoniously he dumped Hermione on the nearest piece of furniture, which luckily for her was the sofa. Her cataleptic form almost rolled off, but his legs prevented her from leaving the sofa. When he was sure that Hermione was safe from falling to the floor, he moved back and sat down across from where he had dropped her.

He admitted to himself that he had hoped the jolt of being dropped would waken her and since it had not worked, he took the time to study - first Abby, who had followed him and then Hermione. Abby, now that he knew she was Hermione's daughter looked like Hermione. He knew now that it was the reason she had sent chills up his spine earlier. She was not an exact replica of Hermione, but Abby resembled her mother enough so that unknowingly he had seen it in her features, and it had freaked him out a little. There was no doubt in his head that Abby was Hermione's daughter and that meant that she was married, which meant… I _I cannot have her. /I _

Draco turned from Abby and examined Hermione. The idea of her being married tore at him and made him physically ill. Ten, almost eleven years to be exact, had passed since he had last seen her, and in that time she had married and had children or at least a child. He wondered, only briefly if Abby had siblings, but just as quickly discarded the thought, it made him feel even more depressed than he already was. He thought then about the man who had captured Hermione, and even faster then he had the last thought, tossed it aside. He did not want to think about Hermione with another man.

Instead, he focused on studying Hermione. She had not changed all that much over the years. Her hair, which she had taken to wearing short and choppy during the final year of war, was once again long and frizzy. It was not as bushy and wayward as it had been, but there was no mistaking the chestnut color or the burnt auburn she was highlighting it with. He frowned because it was then that he noticed that she did not look right. He examined her face, her body and then looked back at her features once again. Hermione had always had the tendency to be on the slim side, but as he looked he noticed that she was past slim to thin. Her cheek-bones jutted out, making her face appear hollow and haunted. Dark circles under her closed eyes only made the haunted look even more disturbing. I _What the hell is wrong with her?_ /I he thought, I _is she sick or is it something else? /I _

His frown deepened, but before he was able to consider it further Abby interrupted his thoughts. She had slowly inched her way to where he was and now stood only a foot away. She asked, her voice cracking slightly, "Is she alright? She's not going to…" she paused as if terrified of asking her questions aloud before rushing on, "She's not going to die is she?"

Draco spared Abby only a brief glance as he replied, "She's fine. I think she's just tired."

Abby nodded, but said nothing else. Draco tore his gaze away from Hermione and looked at Abby. She was clutching the scarf and hat that had fallen off Hermione as if she was afraid to let either item go. He was trying to think of something to say to calm her obvious worry when Hermione moaned. Draco's eyes flew back to the woman, but in seconds his view was blocked by Abby, who had flown to Hermione's side at the slightest sign of life.

Sounding relieved and yet, still worried Abby asked, "Are you okay Mummy? Are you hurt?"

He could not see Hermione, but he could still hear her and her gentle reply. "I'm fine baby, I…"

Abby yelped when Hermione suddenly bolted upright. Hermione simultaneously prevented Abby from stumbling backwards and scanned the room. Her intense eyes alighted on Draco and there they remained. Hermione's expression went from disbelief to blank mask within seconds. It was almost as if she had thrown some internal switch, shutting down all emotions in a single swipe. Tonelessly, she said, "Hello Draco."

"Hermione," Draco returned just as coldly.

Neither one of them noticed Abby's sudden extreme interest and since Abby knew how adults could be she silently stepped away from the two of them and tried to make herself invisible in the background. Wicker came with her, she, soundlessly made sure he understood her needs. He acknowledged her wordless request with a lick and sat back on his hunches, the dog pressed himself unto Abby's side and watched the adults as intently as his mistress.

"What are you doing here Malfoy?"

His tone was like ice when he snapped, "I own this house, I _Granger /I ._ That means the real question should be; I _what are you doing here /I _?"

"Oh god," Hermione groaned. "You're the new neighbor?"

It was not a real question, but Draco replied as if it was. "Yes."

"God, I have to…," she trailed off, running a hand through her already tangled mess of hair. After taking a deep breath she said, "I came to get Abby. Kim told me she was up here visiting the new neighbor."

"Well," he drawled, his tone laced with sarcasm, "I am the new neighbor and she is here."

"I assumed the people who lived here had children," Hermione returned, no longer sounding in control. "Do you have children Draco; was she visiting one of them?"

"I don't have children."

"Oh," Hermione breathed. "I'm sorry, but…," she sighed wearily before continuing. "I didn't know that you were here."

"Yes," Draco sneered, "so I gathered from your reaction."

Hermione blushed slightly; just a hint of pink came to her cheeks, making Draco want to take back his obvious, yet rude retort. He did not though, only watched as she silently gathered her thoughts. During his time with her, all those years ago, he had learned to recognize the signs of when Hermione was thinking - thinking hard. She was doing that very thing now, her brow scrunched, eyes narrowed and it was almost as if you could see the invisible wheels turning and cranking inside her head.

At last, her tone soft but determined, "Well, I only came to collect Abby. I think we will be on our way. I think…I think that is what will be for the best, all around."

Even as she stood up Draco was up and out of the chair so swiftly he was almost a blur of motion. He moved close, too close really, but did not care and grasped one of her wrists with his left hand. She flinched from the vice like grip, but only looked at him, waiting for him to speak. The problem was, now that he had her in his clutches, so to speak, he had no idea what he wanted to say. For years he had pictured this very encounter and he had always known exactly what he wanted to say Hermione. Only, every time he had allowed himself to dream of seeing her once more - he had never imagined her married, with a child.

His mind centered on that one thought. She I _was /I _ married and had at least one daughter that he knew, a daughter who, by her own admission was nine years old, which meant that it had not taken Hermione long to find someone to settle with and start a family after… He shoved the thought away, but it was persistent and he heard himself blurt, "It didn't take you long."

Tiredly, she asked, "What did I not take long at Draco?"

His one handed hold on her allowed him to pull her closer, so their bodies were mere centimeters apart. He leaned down, bringing his face so close he could have kissed her, "It didn't take you long to find someone who you were more then satisfied to be -"

" I _Stop it /I _!" she cried out, cutting him off. She tried to twist her arm free, but he refused to loosen his hold. She stopped her efforts and breathed heavily as she said as calmly as she could manage, "You don't know a thing about me and never did. Don't make the past about you and your I _hurt /I _feelings because we both know who ended it and who walked away. Don't bother trying to understand what motivates me now, ten years later, when you didn't comprehend me then. Don't assume you know me because everything you think, everything you believe about me would be dead wrong. Now, let me go."

He ignored her request for release and snarled, "There is some truth in what I think and what I have said. If there wasn't then explain to me the fact that you have a bloody daughter and -"

Again she cut him off. "Leave Abby out of this. She's nothing to you and she never will be, so don't drag her into whatever it is you still think is between us."

Draco stared directly into her eyes as he said, softly, menacingly, "You and I have unfinished business and I plan on seeing it to the end now that I have found you. I will not allow you to vanish again as you did then and I will not let…," he stopped himself from going on. He did not want her knowing how he really felt, at least not yet if ever. If he had continued she would have deduced his feelings. Hermione was not a dummy.

In the silence that followed the abrupt end of his attack she once more tried to yank her arm free and failed. She demanded, her tone harsh and hard, "Let me go Draco." She looked away for a moment and he could tell from the softening of her expression that she had glimpsed Abby. She turned back to him, "We / _have nothing /I _ more between us, finished or not. You made that choice for us years ago. You left…," this time she was the one to hastily snap her mouth shut. With a shake of her head she repeated, "Let me go."

Instead, Draco tightened his grip, causing Hermione to gasp as he growled, "No. I have things… No, we have things that we have to settle between us, no matter what your think. Until we finish it once and for all you are not going anywhere. I will not let you disappear again."

"God, but you are a damn fool," she wailed despairingly. "I don't want to hear anything you have to say. Maybe once, a long time ago some of this would have mattered, but it doesn't now, and you have to accept that. Now, LET ME GO."

"Mummy?"

Draco had forgotten that Abby was in the room and the sound of her voice made him realize that Hermione was not going to cooperate with him as long as her daughter was there. I _Damn it /I , _he thought, I _I will not let her get away again. I have tormented myself with her memory enough and now that I have the chance to set things right I plan on doing just that. She won't listen though, so what am I supposed to do? I cannot very well tie her up and magically prevent her from fleeing. At least not unless I want to do the same to Abby; and call me crazy, which I'm sure I am, I don't want to drag the girl into this. /I _

Still trying to find a solution he heard Hermione say, reassuringly, "It's alright Honey-pot. Mummy's almost done here." She turned to Draco once more and said, "If you really believe that there is still something between us that has to be…finished and that we need to talk then I will come back tomorrow evening, after Abby is in bed. Until then, let me go because I will not discuss a thing in front of my daughter."

Draco considered her for a moment before saying, "Don't try and run again Hermione, this time I won't stop until I find you."

She frowned over that cryptic remark, but did not comment on it, instead she said, "I have no reason to run." She yanked her arm and this time he released her. She said, "I'll be back tomorrow evening Draco, around eight. Please be ready to say whatever it is you think you have to say, so that I can be on my way and on with my life."

With that she went toward Abby, her hand held out for the younger girl to take it. Abby slipped her smaller hand inside Hermione's and they both walked away. Abby surprised him by looking over her shoulder and winking at him with a cheeky grin. They were gone a second later.

Draco had the sudden urge to drink an entire bottle of something hard and rough. Hermione was right. He _was _fool, but he was more then that, he was a walking disaster. He snatched a bottle of liquor from the wet bar and went to stand in front of the fireplace. He stared into the bottle but did not consume any. The color, rich amber, reminded him too much of Hermione's eyes. I _I'm a damn idiot /I ,_ he thought, I _she's a married woman, with a family and I blew my chances ten years ago. /I _

A bubble of anger boiled its way up from his belly to his chest and made itself at home there. It roosted there, making him feel ten times the moronic fool Hermione believed him to be. He had let her walk out of his life that fateful night and now he was paying for _his_ mistake. He should have chased after, her but he had been hurt, angry and under the belief that she had betrayed him. He should have known better. He should had never doubted her word.

In a fit of rage he smashed the bottle of whiskey by throwing it into the flames. The fire roared higher for a second, mocking him.


	5. Chapter 5

-1

**Nightmare Past**

_The dank, dreary cave of tunnels and rooms to which the Dark Lord and his Death Eaters had fled after having been discovered months ago was cold and dark. Draco, held by the arms on each side by two masked lackeys, shivered slightly as an icy draft wafted its way through the large cavern used for meetings. The uncontrollable, involuntary shudder made one of the men yank his arm threateningly and tighten his grip as assurance that Draco would not escape. Draco did not acknowledge the pain that cruised its way up his arm into his neck, nor did he look toward his tormentor. _

_The thought of escape was far from his mind. His wrecked body would have not allowed him to get far before getting caught once more, and exhaustion made planning impossible. His brain was fog and smoke, that no one thought was tangible long enough to grasp, let alone hold onto. The torture the Dark Lord had bestowed on him earlier in the day had taken pain to a new level with Draco and he was in no condition to do anything more than to stand where he was, held partially up by the two men who were making sure he was going no where. Besides these tiny facts, Draco did not know why the Dark Lord had demanded this gathering. He was not planning on going anywhere until he understood what was going on._

_No more then ten minutes ago, he had been abruptly woken and dragged here, to the very room he had endured so much pain in only hours ago. Draco shoved the memory of his torture aside and tried to focus on his surroundings. Torches placed evenly along the rock wall should have cast the cavern in warm tones of gold but the fire flickered and cast distorted shadows which bounced off the walls and made the room feel strange and ominous. Adding to the eerie atmosphere was the lack of noise inside the room; it was deathly silent except for the crackling, spitting torches and the soft, menacing swish of the Dark Lords black robes as he circled the room. The air was heavy with a sick kind of glee, a hateful anticipation. The entire feel of the scene made Draco feel like he was in some weird dream, or in a spirit world he was only now learning existed._

_Standing one foot apart in a circle, their backs to the walls, Death Eaters waited behind masks for the Dark Lord to speak. The gathered bodies enclosed three men, who were in the middle. Two of the men were standing guard, but unlike Draco's guards, these two men simply stood, their feet braced for any action on each side of the third man. The guards also had masks on but the third man was mask-free, his pale face glowing deathly white and his grey eyes reflecting the fire that he stared at unblinkingly. The man being held there, though not physically, was Lucius Malfoy. Draco wondered only why his father was not masked, because one of the Dark Lord's rules was that he should be the only one to know the identity of each and every one of his faithful worshippers._

_Lucius, sensing Draco's gaze, made a motion with his hand. If Draco's intense gaze had not been focused on his father, he would have missed the subtle sign that Lucius gave him. His father moved one of his hands ever so slightly, a silent order to Draco to do nothing, no matter what happened. The gesture made Draco frown. Why would his father be warning him to keep still and silent? Was the Dark Lord still angry over Draco's latest failed attempt to prove his worth or was the Dark Lord upset with Lucius? None of this made sense and Draco's already addled brain could not fathom what was happening. Lucius, Draco knew, was one of the Dark Lord's most faithful servants and yet his father was issuing him a warning not to interfere, why?_

_Draco's attention drifted to the Dark Lord, who was making another circle around the Death Eaters. However, he did not continue this path as he had been doing since Draco had been brought in. He suddenly cut his circular trail in half and went to stand before Lucius. Lucius bowed his head, submissively, or so Draco assumed. He was not able to see his father's face any longer, though and was not sure what he might be thinking. The motion of ducking his head had brought his blonde hair forward, and it now curtained Lucius' face._

_Voldemort stood silently studying his servant's bowed head for a full five minutes before speaking. When he did speak, Draco was not sure he had heard correctly. _

"_Why did you betray me, Lucius? Tell me the tale of your betrayal, and I might spare your life."_

_Draco must have heard wrong, there was no other explanation. His father would never have betrayed the Dark Lord. His father was so completely loyal and devoted that he had brought his only child into the Dark Lord's folds._

_Lucius lifted his head once more, but his response was so softly given that Draco was only able to catch a few words._

"…_never… I have reasons… explain to my… I would…"_

_Lucius stopped talking, and the Dark Lord considered him a moment before faintly emitting a chuckle that sent shivers of fear down Draco's spine. The laughter was not a happy sound, but rather a chilling, scraping taunt that made even his followers wince behind their masks._

_The creepy chuckling stopped. "Lucius, Lucius, I know the truth," the Lord hissed nastily. "It's all there for me to see, right inside that dim little brain of yours. Did you really think I would not see it there, lingering for me to find when I ventured to look? The truth is not deniable, I see it and I know it."_

_Lucius said something more that Draco was not able to hear but what ever it was made the Dark Lords expression sour._

"_Stop it!" he commanded icily, dropping all pretenses at pleasantries. "I have forgiven the mistakes of your son, Lucius - after all he is young, and youth often fails until they gain the knowledge of wisdom and time. I have even forgiven you on a few occasions, have I not? But this, this latest mistake, this betrayal, is beyond forgiveness. You went too far this time Lucius, you protected the very one I wanted. Well, no, the one I want is out of my reach right now, and he has been since his birth, or else has slipped from my clutches by pure dumb luck. However, the girl, the girl was my key to success, and you let her get away. That I cannot forgive."_

_Draco wanted desperately to clean out his ears. He wanted to stick a finger there and wiggle it furiously back and forth, thinking he must be hearing everything wrong. His father would have never protected anyone, or let, anyone the Dark Lord wanted escape - would he?_

_Voldemort removed his wand from the inside of his robes, distracting Draco from his thoughts. He did not aim it at Lucius, but instead caressed it as if it was a long lost lover. As the Dark Lord fingered his wand he said, "Your act of treason is punishable by death, Lucius. You should have run while you had the chance." Voldemort glanced only briefly toward Draco before once more focusing on Lucius. "But if you had left, I would have had to kill Draco for your crimes, and I _that /I _ would have been a waste. Unlike you, he has not betrayed me; he simply cannot succeed at any task I have given him. He, unlike you, Lucius, has not proven his disloyalty, and therefore he will live."_

_Lucius said something which caused the Dark Lord to cackle hatefully, "Do you really think that l listen to your pleas now? Nothing you say is going to sway me. However, since you did manage to prove loyal on many other occasions, I will assure you that Draco is safe from harm. He has been punished for his failure, and I have no desire to inflict more pain on him. He lives…for now."_

_Again Lucius said something and Voldemort replied coldly, "He lives until he proves that he doesn't deserve his life." Voldemort brought his wand down and pointed it at Lucius, "You, on the other hand, may not live through this."_

_Screams ripped the air, bringing the peculiarity of the room to life, making it feel alive with a life that was outside of human control. Draco jerked in his captors' arms, but their hold proved secure, allowing Draco to do nothing more than watch as his father slumped to the floor, twitching and moaning in pain. The Dark Lord continued to perform his act of evil. Draco's attention was turned from his father when he heard a malevolent laugh. The sound, pure evil joy, came from the Dark Lord. The look upon the his snake-like face was enough to change Draco's heartbeat into fists of hammers against his chest. His breathing became difficult, and he was unable to tear his eyes away from that face of pure evil. In horrified fascination, Draco watched the face of the Dark Lord twist into pleasure of the sickest form as his eyes glowed and his lips formed a gruesomely happy smile._

_Draco finally tore his eyes away from the terrible sight and looked toward his father, who had gone so silent that not even the lowest moan could be heard now. The sight that greeted Draco's eyes made him sick and he had to suppress the urge to vomit. The bile rose in his throat, making him gag but he managed, by sheer force of will, to keep the nasty stuff from coming all the way up. His father was motionless, silent and covered in crimson, blood from the many wounds that the Dark Lord was still inflicting._

_Though his throat was still raw from screaming during his own torture, Draco shouted, "No, stop it!" His throat wrenched painfully, sending white hot waves of pain down his neck into his belly. Draco ignored the pain and pleaded, "Please, stop it."_

_Surprisingly, Voldemort heard him, and miraculously, he stopped. He swiveled to face Draco, his expression one of horrible delight and pleasure. Thinking that the pain was to start again, that the Dark Lord was merely going to turn his joyous torture onto Draco again, Draco closed his eyes and merely hoped the end came swiftly. He ceased his meager struggles against the men who held him and braced himself as best he could for the hurt he knew was coming. He might have endured the pain of Voldemort's punishment hours ago but he was sure that he would not survive another round. He was dead, he knew it, and even though there was no time to accept his death, he tried to do so._

_When nothing happened, he dared to open his eyes a fraction, afraid that he would see the Dark Lord grinning crazily, his wand pointed and ready, only waiting for Draco to look. It was not beyond belief that the Dark Lord would want to toy with him first; the man seemed to enjoy playing with others' emotions as much as he loved meting out pain. Voldemort would find perverse pleasure in allowing Draco to imagine all the horrible things he could do, making Draco wish it was already over. Draco opened his eyes all the way and through the thrumming in his ears he heard, "Let him go. Let him go to his father and see for himself what happens to those who betray me as."_

_The hands holding him were gone, and Draco stumbled forward before he managed to find his balance. Without a glance toward the Dark Lord, or anyone else, Draco made his way to his father's still form. Even as the Dark Lord and Death Eaters left the room, Draco was pulling his father's seemingly lifeless form closer. He begged, "Please, Father, don't be dead."_

_Draco's hope of finding his father alive shriveled even further when he saw Lucius' face, it was whiter than death and splattered with streaks of red. Lucius' entire chest was nothing but a crimson fire of blood. Draco felt hot tears form and brushed them away. He was not going to cry until he knew for sure that his father was dead. "Father," he said gently, patting the pale, bloody cheek, "Father, please, wake up."_

_Relief flooded over him when Lucius groaned weakly and opened his eyes. His eyes were clouded and filled with more than pain. Lucius' breathing was more like quick jabs at gasps as he tried to pull air into his damaged lungs. Draco, not seeing that death was there, just not ready to take life yet, cried in relief and said, "Father, I'll go get help."_

_With strength that Draco would not have thought possible, Lucius snatched a fistful of Draco's shirt and held him there as he whispered, "No…you have to listen to me. I have to tell you…before I…die…have to tell you the truth."_

"_You aren't going to die, Father," Draco denied stubbornly. "I'll go get help," he repeated as he tried to pry his father's cold fingers off his clothing. Lucius proved that strength could even come from death when his grip tightened and he refused to let Draco go. "Please Father; let me go so I may get-"_

"_No," Lucius snarled and though the tone was weak it was enough to cease Draco's efforts at detangling himself from his father's fingers. _

_Lucius wet his lips, an action that seemed obscene and out of place to Draco. He looked at his father, really looked, and for the first time in his life, he saw death staring back at him. Draco went numb with cold and fear. His father _was_ dying, and there was nothing he could do to save him. He felt weak, powerless, as if he had somehow failed his father. He should have stopped the Dark Lord sooner. He should have…_

_His thoughts were interrupted when Lucius started speaking once more. His voice paper-thin and growing weaker, Lucius said, "You have to listen to…me Draco. I don't have much…time. You have to leave…leave when you…have heard all…all of it."_

_Draco did not want to upset his father any more, so he complied, "Alright Father, I will listen but then I am leaving to get help and we are both-"_

_Lucius shook his head, effectively cutting Draco's statement off, "No. I am not leaving here…at least not alive. Listen care…carefully. Don't stay here. He'll kill…you…he'll keep his…word for a while but…but then he _will_ kill…you. He'll kill Narcissa first…get her to safety…make sure you find a safe place…for your mother."_

_Lucius paused in order to allow Draco to give his word on the matter, Draco did, "I'll make sure Mother is safe, I promise."_

_Lucius barely nodded as, he was growing weaker by the second. Breathing was becoming harder and harder, and he knew he had to tell Draco before he died. He gathered what strength he had left and went on, "Save your…self too. Go to…to Har…Harry Potter."_

"What!_" Draco could not help but shout in disbelief. "But Father-"_

"_Don't argue…Draco," Lucius coughed, a wet gurgling sound that made Draco fear he was going to die before he could explain further. A slim trickle of blood flowed from the corner of Lucius' lips, confirming that the older man was not long for this world. His voice barely audible now, Lucius said, "Go to him…and tell him…tell him that it was me that…protected her…he will know what that…means. Don't let power…greed and…hate…seduce you…as it did…me. Don't…follow in my…footsteps…don't repeat my mistakes…and don't…don't let me die thinking…I raised you to…die…for this… _forhim_. Learn…from my…mistakes… before it's…too late…as it is for…me."_

_Lucius stopped talking, his eyes shut, and Draco thought he was gone, but before the thought could fully register, Lucius opened his eyes once more and said, "Protect her…prot…protect…the one that…matters… the most to…him. Protect her. He calls her…calls her…"_

_His father's chest rose once more, then remained still. Draco grabbed at the lifeless form and cried, "Father, protect who? Who is she? What's her name?"_

_Draco fell forward across his father's body and shed silent tears of grief and pain. He could not stop the droplets from forming or spilling over, but he could stop the noise and that's what he did. At long last, he pushed himself up and stood. He glanced around the empty room and wondered what to do next. He could not just walk out of here; the Dark Lord would never allow that. He had to devise a plan and he would need time to think about that plan. _

_He racked his hands over his face and through his hair, unaware that in doing so he had covered his face and platinum blonde hair in red. He started to move away from his father, ready to retreat from death and the terrible image it had already imprinted on his mind. Only, he could not resist looking back once more -and in doing so he stumbled backwards as a scream built in his throat._


	6. Chapter 6

-1

**Six**

**Firewood**

That dream always turned horrendous in the end. It was always when he turned back to look once more at his father, and saw Hermione, that reality turned into horror. Waking just after dawn, a scream ripping from his throat, Draco was in no mood for anything but reckless carnage. However, since he was not exactly in the position to rampage through town and terrorize everyone he saw, he had decided to chop firewood instead. The physical labor of swinging the axe and cutting through pieces of wood soothed his raging soul just as satisfyingly as a few well-placed curses would have. Of course, his wand would have served him better for this task too considering that he was hacking the wood into splinters rather than logs for the fireplace, but he really did not care. I _What does it matter /I ? _he thought sourly_. I The stupid wood is going into a fire, not a showcase, so what does it matter what the hell it ends up looking like? It doesn't matter._ /I 

He lifted the axe, a tool he had discovered after examining the shed at the side of the house, and swung it downward in a large arc. The metal blade connected with the wood, causing the air around him to throb with a dull thumping sound. Satisfaction coursed through him at the wreckage he was causing, and he smiled grimly. Splintered wood pieces littered the area he was working in, but he gave them not a thought. His thoughts were centered on the task he was doing and his mind was, for once, was filled with something other than Hermione and their past. He felt relaxed even as he tensed to bring the axe down once more.

He was lifting his instrument of destruction once more when he heard barking. He let the axe fall to his side, keeping his hand on the handle, as he scanned the area for Abby and her pet. They were coming out of the trees just ahead of where he stood and were making their way for him. I _Great, /I _ he thought, I _why didn't Hermione warn her daughter to stay as far away from me as possible /I ? _Though he wished the girl and her dog were nothing more than figments of his brain, which he knew was slowly going insane, he knew they were very real.

Draco, not wanting Wicker to think he was threatening Abby with the axe, glanced down at the tool to make sure that the blade was turned away. In that brief instance, the dog had not only spotted Draco, but was making a beeline for him with every ounce of speed and strength he possessed. Draco looked up just in time to see something big and furry launch itself at him before he landed on his backside in the snow. Draco felt the animal's hot, rancid breath on his face right before the dog produced his tongue and began licking Draco's face as if he were something straight out of Honeydukes.

Draco succeeded in wedging his hands in between his chest and the dog, but he was less successful in actually dislodging the beast. Revolted at the sticky, wet substance Wicker's tongue was leaving on his face every time he took a lick, Draco tried harder to shove the animal away, and failed. At the sound of giggling, Draco, no longer caring that Wicker could bend his neck in half with one large snap of those massive jaws, swiveled his head and growled at Abby, "Get your blasted beast off me."

Between giggles, Abby scolded Wicker, "Get off him, silly. He doesn't want any of your loving icky spit baths."

Abby dragged Wicker away, and Draco was free. He scooted backwards, wiping his face on the sleeve of his jacket as he did. He glowered at the girl and dog, but only the dog noticed. Abby was too busy straining against Wicker's obvious desire to get back to Draco's face. Apparently, the animal did not believe that Draco's face had been washed enough! Draco scooted even further back before cautiously regaining his feet, keeping his eyes on Wicker the entire time.

Finally, sounding more then a little irritated, Abby shouted, "Knock it off, Wicker, or you can go straight home."

At once, the dog sat back on his haunches and whined softly, making it long suffering and heartfelt. Abby, who had her back turned to Draco, was obviously not impressed by these theatrics, since she said, "Whimper and cry all you want, Wicker, but I mean what I say. You can stop acting like a silly little puppy or you can go home."

"Why don't you both go home, I _now /I ?_" Draco suggested angrily.

Abby rounded on him, her face fierce, and determined, "I will not go home. I happen to understand that Wicker was only trying to show you that he likes you, and since I think I might I like you, too, I'm not leaving." Before he could answer, she said, rather sadly, "I see you still plan on being mean and grumpy. It doesn't matter, though, I am not leaving no matter how nasty you get."

Draco moaned over that announcement, and asked, "Why won't you leave me alone? What have I ever done to you? You would think someone as smart as you would take the hint and leave._ I I don't want you here_. /I "

She planted her fists on her hips, very much like she had the day before, and glared right back at him, "I don't care. I want to be here, so here I am." She watched as he started brushing snow from his clothing before saying, "Yesterday, you were almost nice, but today you're back to being rude."

"I was never nice," Draco denied hastily.

"I didn't say you I _were_ /I nice, I said you were I _close /I _ to being nice. There is a I _difference /I _." She sat down in the snow, unmindful of the cold or wetness. She surveyed the mess he was making and smiled. Draco was not at all inclined to like the smile that she presented. It made her look superior, as if she knew something that he did not. He was right, for she soon said, "In case you want to know, you're cutting the wood all wrong."

Harshly, he replied, "I don't want to know."

She ignored his tone and went about telling him exactly what he was doing wrong anyhow. She stood up, brushed off her bottom, and came over to where he had just retrieved the axe. She plucked a log from the pile and placed it on the cutting slab, standing it on end and saying, "This is the right way to place the wood." She laid the log on its side and said, "Not this way. This way is going to get you exactly what you have right now, a bunch of splinters and such."

She once again repositioned the log so that it was on end and said, "Here, let me see the axe."

"Are you insane?" Draco asked incredulously. "I am not going to give you this thing. You'll probably chop off your arm or leg. Hell, you'll probably chop off one of I _my_ /I arms or legs. No thanks, not only am I rather attached to my body parts, but I don't want your parents accusing me of chopping you to bits."

She rolled her eyes, " I _Oh, please, /I _ I've been cutting wood for a year now. I know what I'm doing. Let me have the axe."

"No," Draco denied once more. "I am not watching as you chop something off and bleed to death."

The vivid imagery did not dissuade her as he had hoped. She shook her head and said instead, "Wow, you are way too dramatic, even more dramatic than my friend Holly, and she's over -the-top-drama. I'm not going to cut off anything, or slice anybody, and I am not going to bleed to death. Just give me the axe so I can show you how it's supposed to be done."

Draco still hesitated but after a moment, he held the axe out, saying as he did, "If you hurt yourself, or your dog, don't expect me to rescue you…-and if it's me you end up slicing, you had better run."

"Oh, stop it," she retorted with a derisive snort, " I _I've /I _ done this before. You haven't, as we both very well know from the mess you've made. If anyone was going to hurt themselves, or anyone else, it would have been you swinging the axe."

She lifted the axe, saying no more, and brought it down. It cut cleanly through the log, splitting it in half. With a gloating smile, she said, "See, that's how you do it. Plus, doing it the right way causes less work in the end."

She handed the tool back to him, and once again took a seat by Wicker, who leaned into her. Draco, not believing that her already-oversized ego needed further praise, kept any positive comments he might have had to himself. Remaining silent, he retrieved another log from the pile and placed it on the slab as Abby had demonstrated. He resumed cutting the firewood, without a glance or word in her direction.

The next half hour was spent, amazingly, in companionable silence. As he cut the logs, Abby gathered them and piled them neatly against the house, by the back door. She did not say anything smart even when, a few times, he missed the log he was aiming for…-and even managed to half-hide her chuckles when he swore a streak of curses after slicing his thumb on the blade of the axe. The cut, which was shallow, did not bleed long, but it was sore and ended his desire to split any more firewood.

After propping the axe up against the house, he eyed the pile Abby had created and after only a brief pause took a seat upon it.

"Nice job."

Draco looked over to where Abby was again sitting with Wicker - this time, she was the one leaning against the animal. He actually smiled and said, "Thanks, you too."

She beamed at him, "We make a good team."

"I suppose."

After a few minutes of silence, she suddenly blurted, "Are you a wizard?"

Draco opened his mouth, and then snapped it closed. As they had worked, he had temporarily forgotten that Abby was not a Muggle, as he had first believed. Since Hermione was her mother, there was no reason for Abby not to be aware of the magical community, which meant that not only was Abby aware of magic, she was no doubt a witch herself. Once again, he wondered who Abby's father was but decided that it did not matter that much. No matter who the man was, he had succeeded in winning Hermione, something Draco had failed at. It also did not matter who the man was, because no matter what his name or whether Draco knew him or not, Draco was still going to hate the man.

He pushed the thoughts away, and replied, "Yes, I'm a wizard."

She nodded thoughtfully, and remarked, "That explains a lot, then."

He frowned when she did not go on and asked, "Explains what, exactly?"

She grinned devilishly, "Oh, why you didn't know how to make tea, or cut firewood, or…well, any number of other Muggle things. "

Since he knew that she was trying to get him to rise to the bait, he held his tongue and only said, "Oh."

She looked slightly disappointed, but then changed the subject. "Did you go to Hogwarts, too?"

"Yes."

"Mum says that when I'm old enough, I'll get to go there too," Abby shared. "I have a couple of years before that happens, though."

Thinking aloud, Draco mused, "Wouldn't you attend one of the American schools, since you live here?"

"Mum doesn't want me to," Abby explained, "She says she's sure that they're just as capable of teaching me, but she wants me to attend Hogwarts. We're moving to Mum's old place in a few weeks."

Draco's features sharpened. "You are?"

Looking forlorn, she said, "Yeah. Grams died a year ago, and her house has been empty all this time. Mum says that it's about time we went there and set things up. She also wants me to be adjusted to the all the changes before I have to leave for school, so she says now is a good as time as any."

Draco did not reply, and Abby went on to say more. "I'm really excited about moving, but I hate that I have to leave all my friends behind. Mum says that I will make more, and I know she's right, but it still kind of sucks."

Draco only nodded. He could not think about anything other than the news that Hermione was coming back to where she would be more accessible to him. He was not above breaking up her marriage, was he? I _No, I can't possibly think about it. She already hates me for what I've done to her in the past - breaking up her marriage would make it all worse. /I _

Abby standing up made him come to his senses. She was looking at her wristwatch and saying, "Well, I have to be home before lunch. Maybe next time, we can talk some more without all the grumbling first."

Before he could reply, she was dashing off down the way she had come, Wicker at her side. Draco watched them until they were out of sight. Just as Abby vanished among the trees, he thought, I _she could have been my daughter if I had not been such an idiotic fool /I ._ The odd thought had him frowning and he shook his head. He did not want children, did he? Of course not. He only thought it because Abby was Hermione's daughter.

Shaking his head, he went inside. Hermione would be arriving in a few short hours.


	7. Chapter 7

-1**Seven**

**Back Again**

Draco was restless. He felt as if his skin was crawling, causing him to wander the house aimlessly, as mindless of his actions as a cat in search of the perfect napping spot is. Part of the feeling was due to the nightmare that he had had. The very fact that the nightmare was, in fact, a memory from long ago never failed to make him feel edgy and out of sorts, but it was the ending of the dream, where reality met his self-induced horror that things became oddly surreal even when he was awake. It was only when he turned to look at his father once more, but saw Hermione's blank staring eyes in their place, that the terror woke him and made him feel like a caged animal the rest of the day. He twisted his thoughts away from the image that his brain was conjuring, he did not want to see it in the waking world too.

For almost three years, during the war and after, Draco had become almost obsessed with discovering the identity of the woman that his father had protected and then ultimately died for. However, it was near impossible to learn anything about anyone when you did not have a name or even a simple description. Harry Potter had indeed understood Draco when he had told him what Lucius had instructed him to say, but Potter had not explained any more then Draco's father had, and Draco had not thought to question Potter at that time. When he had thought about it and asked Harry, almost a year later, Potter had brushed it aside and refused to say anything. They had argued, almost to the point of dueling, but in the end, Draco had walked away, disgusted and angry, more with himself than Potter.

The entire affair bothered him even now, only because he had promised his father that he would protect this woman, and yet he had been unable to do so because he had no idea who that woman was or had been. Draco did not know if the mystery woman had survived or if she was dead - he knew nothing, and he believed that was the reason he continued to have the nightmare memory. Draco knew that it was something that was going to forever bother him. Even though he had given up on learning who the woman was, he would be the first to admit that if he was ever given a lead, he would be back on the trail very quickly, just as obsessed as he had been years ago.

He shrugged the thoughts away. He did not want his mind preoccupied with his father and the past when Hermione was due to arrive in less then two hours. Her impending appearance was the real reason he was so edgy. He was not quite sure what to do where she was concerned. He knew what he wanted to do, but after having time to think about it, he was not so sure that it was the right thing to do. The one thing that he was sure of was that he did not want to screw it up like he had almost eleven years ago. He did not want Hermione running out like she had then, and he did not want to make a mess of things all over again.

For as long as she had been gone from his life, he had tried to envision what it would be like to see Hermione once again. He had thought about all the things he would say and do and how she would respond, but then, in all his make -believe imaginings he had never once pictured her married with a daughter. One part of him, the part he had buried long ago, was urging him to attack her marriage on the sly and then, when it was over, sweep in and be there to pick her back up, he would be her 'knight in shining armor,' so to speak. The only problem with that was he I _had /I _ changed over the years and had stopped listening to that half of himself. The other half of him was telling him to let her go, to let her live her life and be happy. He had had his chance, and lost her, and now it was time for him to let her go forever. Of course, the problem with I _that /I _ was that he was still too selfish to be that accommodating. His two halves were waging a war inside him and it was making him go nuts.

_ I What the hell am I going to do? Which part of me should I listen to? /I _he thought tiredly._ I If I confess the entire truth, then I'm only setting myself up for disappointment, because she's not going to jolly well jump into my arms, she's married and has a kid. However, I cannot go on without telling her everything, because if I do, I will die regretting it. Damn it, what am I supposed to do? I have to think of something before she comes, or else I'll have nothing to say and then that will leave me looking even more foolish then I already do bloody hell. /I _

Draco, who had been sitting down in an armchair, popped back up and began pacing in front of the fireplace. He wanted, no, needed, a drink. It would calm his ragged nerves and soothe his warring thoughts, but he did not think drinking right before Hermione arrived was a good idea. He had to keep his head clear, and in order to do that, he could I _not /I _ indulge in a shot of whiskey. Hermione was due in a little over an hour and… I _The hell with it, /I _he thought, storming over to the bar, I _I need something to calm me down. So what if she smells a little alcohol on me? It's not as if I'll be drunk from one or two glasses. /I _

That would have worked, except that Draco ignored the glass and chugged half the bottle before he even thought about grabbing something to drink from.

A loud ringing in his ears made Draco wince and groan. He wanted the noise to stop, but it persisted, growing increasingly more irksome as it did. He believed another round of whisky would make the sound diminish, if not vanish, so he pulled himself from the armchair and was halfway to the bar before the chiming he was hearing registered for what it was - the doorbell. He spun around in that direction and almost fell flat on his face when the room did not stop spinning. He grabbed the wall for support and waited for the spell to pass. Once he was certain that he could walk without falling to his face, he started toward the door.

He tripped on something and ended up staggering the rest of the way to the door, where he landed against it. There he remained as he turned to the hall, frowning, to glare at whatever had tripped him. There was nothing there. He shook his head and looked again but there was still nothing on the floor that he could have tripped over. He was about to go in search of the offending object, because he was I _sure /I _ there had been something there, when the doorbell rang out again. He grabbed his head and yelled, "Enough with the damned bell." Without turning, he growled, "Who the hell is it?"

"Don't be obtuse, Draco," her soft feminine voice called back, "it's Hermione."

"I know who it is," he muttered irritably. "What do you want?"

"You asked, demanded, really, that we have this meeting, Draco," she snapped, sounding mildly annoyed. "Open the door so that I can come in."

"Oh, well, I don't think so," Draco mumbled, slurring his words. "Why don't you leave and come back later? That would be much better."

"No," she retorted heatedly. "Look, I can…," there was a pause and then she was in front of him, "leave, but that only means that I'll have to deal again with you later."

Draco blinked at the sight of her, and stupidly asked, "How'd you do that?"

Hermione did not answer; she was studying him, her nose wrinkling in disgust as she did. At long last, she asked, "Are you drunk? You I _are /I _ drunk! God, I can smell you from here. What the hell possessed you to drink to this extreme?"

His brain was not functioning all that well, so he replied honestly, even as he grinned idiotically, "I was thinking of you."

Her eyes narrowed, "Me? Hmm, I seriously doubt that."

He started to nod, but the room wanted to go wayward again, so he stopped before he even got halfway through the nod. Instead, he tried to take a step toward her, saying as he did, "It's true. I was thinking about you. You drive me crazy."

He took a step forward at last, only to weave so horribly that Hermione had to step forward and hold him upright. She shoved an arm around his waist and began leading him into the living room. As they went, she asked, "Just how much did you have to drink, Malfoy? Never mind, you're too damn drunk to remember what you did two minutes ago."

"How harsh," he muttered and then tried to convince her he was not drunk at all. "I'm really not that drunk, honest."

It came out sounding like, "Imweelynodatdunkonest."

Hermione shook her head and ignored the ridiculous statement. Next, he asked, "Where're we going?"

"To the living room," Hermione huffed.

"Why?"

"So you can lie down on the sofa before you pass out on the floor," she explained.

"Oh," Draco said nothing for a moment and then, right before she dumped him on the sofa, he said, "Please join me."

She had no choice but to follow him down, since he had not released his hold on her. She squeaked and tried to struggle back up, but his hold was still strong, even in his drunken state. Draco ignored her struggles and brought her down to sit next to him. His brain was not just malfunctioning, it was I _on vacation /I _, because the next thing he did was snuggle his head against her chest and sigh, "This is nice. Let's not ever move from this spot."

"Draco," Hermione cried out when his hands moved toward her breasts. She pushed them away and said, "Get off me, you stupid man."

Instead, he snuggled deeper and relaxed, "No."

"Damn it, Draco, this is not funny."

"I know," he agreed. "But it is rather nice, don't you think?"

"No," Hermione disagreed, once more struggling to pull away from him. "I don't think."

Draco moaned then and said, his voice weak, "Don't move. I think my stomach dislikes the idea."

He could not see it, but Hermione looked down at his head doubtfully, asking, "Are you being truthful?"

He nodded against her shirt, and there was something in the way he nodded that allowed her to believe him when he said, "Yes. I think if I move right now I'll be very sick." Hermione stopped moving and he said, gratefully, "Thank you."

A few minutes passed, and when he was sure that his stomach was not going to revolt against the amount of liquor he had supplied it, he asked, "What's on your mind?"

"Excuse me?" she asked, baffled. "What exactly do you mean?"

"What are you thinking about?" he clarified.

"Oh, I'm thinking…," she stopped and then, "What I'm thinking about is not important here. You wanted me here, Draco, for some reason that only you understand. Why don't you tell me what that reason is, so I can be on my way?"

"That bent on returning to the love of home and hearth, are we?" he muttered.

"Yes."

"He treats you that well, does he?"

"Who?"

"Your husband," he sneered, finally removing his head and sitting back against the sofa. "That's who."

Her head snapped around to look at him, and he was a bit surprised to see a deep sadness there, but when she spoke, there was nothing of the emotion in her voice. Rather flatly, she said, "We are not here to discuss my life, Draco. Please tell me what it is you felt I had to come here to hear, and then we can both get on with our lives."

When she was through talking, she looked back at him and was not surprised to find him half-asleep. His eyes were closed and his breathing was getting deeper. She reached over and swatted his face gently. "Oh no, you don't. Wake up and tell me what you have to tell me."

He grumbled, "Can't this wait? I really don't think I can talk right now."

"Not my problem," Hermione said, without an ounce of sympathy. "You're the one who felt the urge to drink himself dumb, and now you're the one who will talk even if you cannot."

"Fine," he muttered grumpily, "What do you want to talk about?"

Hermione made a sound of annoyance and snapped, "Would you focus, please?" When his eyes started drooping closed again, she smacked him hard on the leg, crying out, "FOCUS!"

"I am focused," he bit out, without much bite, since he could hardly get the words out.

"Tell me what you think this unfinished business is between us, and then I will leave and let you sleep," Hermione bargained.

"Okay," he nodded once, letting his eyes drift shut once more. Hermione, about to hit him with a spell, reached inside her jacket for her wand, but paused when he said, "I'm sorry."

"Pardon?" she questioned, looking at his face. "Sorry for what?"

He did not reply, but said instead, "Did you know that I looked for you?"

"What do you mean, you looked for me?" she asked lightly, afraid now that he was talking, anything loud or sudden would startle him out of his passive mood.

"You just vanished," he said with a wave of his arm, his eyes still closed. "Poof, and you were gone. I looked and looked, but it was like you had vanished from the world in one cruel second. I wanted to tell you that I was sorry, that I was wrong, but I couldn't find you. I wanted to tell you so much, and I couldn't, and now I can't tell you anything but that I'm sorry. Isn't that justice for me? Ironic, too."

Hermione's frown deepened, "I might think so, if I understood what precisely you were talking about."

It was like she had not spoken, as he went on incoherently, "I thought I would be able to tell you everything, but I can't. I can only tell you how very sorry I am for that last night, and that I was so very wrong about you. But, that's all I can say, because if I told you anything more, then it would be like reverting to the old me and I won't do that. Do you understand?"

"No," Hermione denied, shaking her head. "I get that you're sorry for that night ten years ago. I get that you now know you were wrong about me, but I have no idea what the rest of what you're saying means. Care to explain a bit more?"

Instead, he changed the subject, "Does he treat you right? Does he treat you like you should be treated?"

"Huh?" Hermione uttered, confused, "Who?"

"Your husband," Draco murmured, falling closer and closer to sleep. "Abby never talks about him and I find that odd, but, what do I know Maybe Abby doesn't like her father, is that possible, Hermione? Maybe you should talk to her about it, Hermione. After all, you don't want her growing up hating her very own father, do you? Or maybe she simply has not…has not…"

Hermione sighed, and this time, let the man pass out. She had a lot of thinking to do, and she was not going to be able to do it here. She got up, leaving Draco there, and left.


	8. Chapter 8

-1**Morning After**

Draco woke to the sound of drums. Frowning and wondering where the drums were coming from, he rolled over and promptly fell on his face to the floor. Confused, and a bit stunned from the fall, he lifted his head and looked around. The living room slowly came into focus and memories from the night before suddenly flooded into his head. He groaned as each stupid thing he had said and done came rushing back to him as if it was happening all over again. I _Could I have been anymore of a moron? /I _he thought,_ I Damn, but I knew I should have kept away from the whiskey. But, no, I had to have a drink, thinking it would ease some of my stupid nerves. When did I turn into such an indecisive idiot? /I _

As he pulled himself back onto the sofa, he realized that the drums he had heard were coming from inside his hammering head. He rubbed a hand over his face, trying to clear some of the sleep away, but all that happened was that his mind flashed back again to the evening before. He opened his eyes back up and shook his head in an attempt to shake off the memory, only to groan and flop his head against the back of the sofa when the headache grew in intensity. He also suddenly became aware of the fact that his mouth was as dry as if he had eaten a pound of dust.

Ignoring the pain in his head, he got up and went into the kitchen. He had gotten as far as three steps when his eyes fell upon Abby. He stopped in his tracks and could only stare at her in dumbfounded confusion.

"Morning!" she called happily, making him wince. "I knocked and knocked, but you didn't answer, so I decided that I had better check on you."

Finding his voice, he said, "Well, as you can see, I'm fine, so why don't you go on back home… I _now /I _?"

He knew what she was going to say before she said it, and she did not disappoint him, "No, I don't think I will. You've been drinking again, haven't you?"

"How is that any of your business?" he asked as he headed over to the tea pot and a bottle of Cure-All Potion.

He put the pot under the faucet, filled it, and placed it on the stove to heat. After finishing that, he opened the bottle of potion and gulped down half of it before replacing the cap and turning once more to face Abby. She was watching him intently, her large grey eyes round with amusement and just a little bit of sympathy. He ignored the look and asked, "Well, are you going to answer me?"

She slowly shook her head, her lips lifting up into a smile as she did and said, "No, because I know you won't answer me."

Draco asked, as if suddenly struck, "Where's your beast?"

Her lips turned down for just an instant, but then she was grinning once again. "You mean Wicker, don't you? He's under the table."

Draco looked down and, sure enough, the dog was curled into a ball below the table, by Abby's feet. "Well," he said dryly, "at least he isn't attacking me."

"Hey," she protested, "Wicker wasn't attacking you yesterday. He was showing you that he likes you."

"Could've fooled me," Draco remarked under his breath.

She heard him and frowned as she insisted, "He was."

"As you say."

"Are you ever in a good mood?"

"Sure," Draco replied as he pulled the heated pot from the stove.

"When?" she questioned sarcastically, "Because I'm starting to believe that you have no other moods but grumpy and nasty."

"I'm in a good mood when I'm not ambushed in the morning by little girls", Draco commented wryly, and then added, "something that is apparently becoming a hobby of yours."

For some reason, his dry comments had her smiling once again. "I think that you like my visits, but you don't want to admit it," she said perceptively.

"Then, you haven't got much of a brain to think with, have you?" he questioned sardonically.

He was getting used to his sarcasm bouncing off her, which it did this time, too. She shrugged a shoulder elegantly as he brought his newly made cup of tea to the table and took a seat across from her. "I don't think you mean half of what you say, so I don't let it bother me."

"You are…different," Draco admitted, more to himself then to her. He mentally shook his head and sighed aloud,

"Alright, since I know you won't leave until you are good and ready, what exactly would you like to discuss this morning?"

She lifted a shoulder again, and said, "Oh, I don't know… I thought we would try this little thing where I ask a question and you answer it, and then you do the same to me?"

"You're pretty good at the sarcasm yourself," he remarked lift an eyebrow.

She took it as a compliment, saying, "Thank you. Mum says I must have gotten my wit from my father."

The fact that Abby was mentioning her father, once again reminded Draco that Hermione was married. He did not want to think about that, so he said, "Whatever. So what do you want to ask me?"

She tilted her head thoughtfully and asked, "Were you in the War?"

A little taken back by the question, he sat back in his chair and stared at her for a moment before saying, "Yes, I was."

"I already knew that," Abby admitted. "Mum's told me a little bit about the War, but not a lot. She thinks I'm too young to hear about everything. Of course, I can learn just about anything I want by reading one of the thousands of books about it, but Mum doesn't think about that. You'd think she would, since she reads a lot too… but she doesn't."

Draco, recalling how much of a reader Hermione was, smiled only slightly as he said, "What exactly has your mother told you about the War?"

"Nothing much," Abby replied. "She told me what the War was about, and why it happened, and that's about it. But I know more than that." Before he could ask what she knew, she changed the subject by asking, "Did you know my dad?"

"Since I have no idea who your father, is I don't know if I know him or not," Draco told her.

She frowned but said only, "Oh."

Sighing, hating to ask, but feeling compelled to anyway he said, "Who is your father?"

"I don't know," she said softly, causing Draco to frown. "I was hoping you would know, since you knew Mum back when I was born."

"I wasn't around when you were born," he said quietly, and thought, I _Nor was I around for your conception. /I _

"Oh," she muttered, sounding disappointed. "Oh well."

It hit him then - Hermione was not married. How could she be, if Abby did not know who her father was? Draco suddenly felt like yelling and jumping, but he contained the urge, saying instead, "I can't believe that you don't know who your father is, doesn't your mother ever tell you about him?"

Abby shook her head, "She never talks about him. I asked her once and she got so sad that I told her that it was okay to not tell me."

"Are you telling me that you don't even know your father's name?"

"I don't know anything about him," Abby informed him, and then amended, "Actually, I do know that he must be dead."

That news surprised him a bit. "What do you mean that he must be dead?"

"Mum cries sometimes, and once I heard her talking to Aunt Ginny about him," Abby explained. "This was right after I had asked her about him, and she was telling Aunt Ginny that she didn't know how to tell me about my father."

"Why does that make you think that he's dead?" Draco wanted to know.

"Because my friend Polly's father died, and her mum said that same thing to my mum," Abby said, simply, as if that explained everything.

Draco's frown deepened. She was calling Ginny Weasley Aunt but Ron Weasley could not possibly be Abby's father. Ron Weasley had died two years before the end of the War. Who then, was Abby's father? Suddenly, the question became very important to him. He stared at the girl across from him as a million different thoughts circled inside his head. It seemed strange to him that Hermione had never once told Abby about her father. It did not seem like something Hermione would do - at least, not the Hermione he remembered. Who was the man that still made her cry after all these years, and why had she never told Abby about him?

Before he could pursue the subject further, Abby changed it again. "Did you like Hogwarts when you went there?"

"Yes," Draco admitted.

"You were in Slytherin, right?"

"Yes."

"Mum was in Gryffindor," Abby told him, though he already knew, of course. "A lot of people I know were in that House."

"I suppose that's the House you want to be placed in when you attend?" Draco asked dryly.

"I guess," Abby replied with another shrug. "I haven't really thought about it."

They were both quiet for a moment before Abby started talking once more. She asked questions and talked for another hour, before saying that she had to get back home. After she was gone, Draco took his third cup of tea into the living room, where he sat before the fireplace, thinking. He started a blaze and stared into the flickering flames, wondering all the while about Abby and Hermione.

As his thoughts swirled and twisted around, something Abby had told him a few days before shifted inside his head, and as it did, his chest became heavy even as his breath whooshed out. His entire body began shaking, first with shock over his discovery and then with anger. I _Hermione has some explaining to do. /I _

He grabbed his coat and wand and left the house.


	9. Chapter 9

-1**Missing**

Draco walked the forest trail without knowing where he really was, his thoughts were beyond the trees and shrubbery that surrounded him. His mind raced from one thing to the next as he frantically tried to put it his thoughts in order. His brain jumped from the present to the past and back again, leaving him reeling from the whirlwind of it all. He tried to focus, but it was impossible. No matter how he tried to reason it all out, no matter how many times he tried to see a different conclusion, his mind returned to the same things. Hermione had to talk to him, had to tell him the truth.

Draco's thoughts flashed again to the past - to the last time he had seen Hermione.

_She was due any minute and he was not ready. The apartment was in order and the dinner was ready to be served but he was not ready. He had set this up out of revenge but he was not ready, he needed more time - not because he was feeling guilty or sick over what he was about to do but because he wanted his revenge to be perfect and he was not at all sure he had prepared himself enough._

_Draco stooped low and shifted the logs in the hearth with the poker absently. She had made him look like a fool. It did not matter to him that so far, no one knew what she had done because sooner or later everyone was bound to know everything. But before they did he was going to make sure that she looked just as foolish - just as naïve - as he had. He was not going to let her get away with it. She should have known he would find out - and that when he did he would not just sit back and take it. He was not the sort of person to turn the other cheek; he was too bold, too arrogant and too damned smart (or so he had thought) to let anyone play him. _

His mind skipped over the evening to the end of the night.

_She lay with the sheets pulled up to her neck and her eyes glistened with unshed tears as she stared at him. He was not going to let himself be drawn in by those tears though. He was not a fool. The whole point of tonight had been to prove to her that she had not played him like she had hoped._

"_Draco," she whispered his name and he could hear the hurt in her voice but he steadily ignored it._

_He turned away from her only to be confronted with her double in the mirror. He closed his eyes briefly, trying to regain control over his feelings and his thoughts. He wanted, God help him, to wrap her in his arms and tell her that none of what he had just said to her actually mattered. Damn it all but he was a fool for falling for her. He shoved the thoughts, the bitter sweet images from his head and turned to face her, making sure to set his face into a cold mask._

"_Did you think that this would go on forever?" he asked harshly, cruelly. "Did you think that I would never discover the truth? I thought you were the smart one?"_

"_What are you talking about?" she cried out. "Draco…"_

"_NO!" he shouted, surprising even himself with his vehemence. "I don't want to hear your reasons or your excuses. I want you to admit that you're here only because you wanted to make sure that I was really working for the Order. You took it upon yourself to sleep with the 'enemy' to spy on me, to be sure that I was not relaying messages back to other side. You never actually cared about me, did you? All you cared about was finding out if I was the one leaking information."_

"_I never…"_

"_Don't lie, Hermione," he snapped coldly. "There's no point in lying now. The War is over. It ended two weeks ago so you're free now. You no longer have to pretend to care about me, or talk sweetly to me or sleep wit me or -" he cut himself off before he lost what little control he had remaining completely._

"_I wasn't…"_

"_I said I don't want to hear it," he said, his look of contempt quieting her immediately. "The thing of it is I might have done the same thing if I was you." He laughed bitterly. "Isn't that something to think about? I might have done exactly the same thing."_

_Neither of them spoke for a moment, and then Draco bit out, "I want you out of my place, out of my life… now."_

"_Draco," she started then stopped. She sucked in a deep breath shook her head once and then continued, "Draco there's something…"_

"_How many times do I have say it Hermione?" He retorted hotly. "I don't want to hear anything you have to say. I don't care. I just want this over with. I don't want you here anymore."_

"_Tonight?" He smiled nastily and replied, "Let's just call tonight a going away gift from me to you." _

Draco was suddenly brought back to the present as he realized he was standing in front of Hermione's house. He stood there, at the edge of the woods thinking about that long ago night. She had tried once more to get him to listen to her but he had refused to hear anything she had wanted to say. Instead he had stormed from the room and barricaded himself behind his office door until he had heard the closing of the apartment door. He wondered now if what she had wanted to tell him was the very thing that had brought him here today.

His mind urged him to go forward, to confront Hermione and to get to the truth, but his heart kept his feet planted where they were as he remembered again how he had felt that night. He had wanted to ruin after her, to grab her up and tell her that what she had done was forgivable. After all he had admitted he too would have done the same thing. The only thing was, he had not gone after her - not until it had been too late.

By then he had realized his mistake. He had come to see that Hermione was not the type of person who would sleep with someone she thought of as the enemy. She was, simply not that cold or hard. _He_ was the cold one, the one who had let everything and everyone mean absolutely nothing to him. That was, until _she_ had come to be such a big part of his life. She had managed to change some small part of him and he had not seen it until it had been too late.

Draco forced himself to walk. He did not allow himself to think again until he was at the front door. There he paused to calculate everything once again. He was not wrong, he _could _not be wrong on this - because if he was then he was more of a fool then he had ever thought possible.

He raised a fist to knock but before he could the door was yanked open and he saw Hermione there. She looked terrible, even worse then the day she had come looking for Abby and had found him too. Her hair was sticking out everywhere; there were darker circles under her eyes themselves looked red, as if she had been crying. He frowned at her and asked, "What the hell's wrong with _you_?"

She reached out and slapped him hard. He reached up and felt his cheek gingerly where he was sure a red welt was forming from the force of her hand. As he rubbed the sore area he looked back at her with a bemused expression and demanded, "What in the bloody hell was that for?"

Hermione raised her hand again but this time he was ready for her. He grabbed her wrist and then to be on the safe side grabbed a hold of her other hand too. "Oh no, you don't," he told her. "Not until you tell me why you think I deserve to be hit?"

"You know why," she hissed between clenched teeth as she struggled to get free of his hold.

"No," he disagreed calmly, "I don't know why so why don't you tell me?"

"Let me go," she snapped.

"Not until you tell me why you hit me?" he repeated.

"Don't act like you don't know Draco Malfoy," she yelled, tears spilling down her cheeks. "You cannot stand there pretending that you don't know where she is. You can't possibly be that cold or that cruel."

Draco, forgetting that he wanted to restrain her, reached up with one gloved hand and wiped a tear drop away from her cheek away. Softly he told her, "I don't know what you mean. I am _not_ that cold or cruel, contrary to what others may think. So why don't you tell me what…"

He trailed off as what she had said hit him. "Where _she _is? What do you mean, where she is? Who is _she_?"

A deep cold filled him before Hermione answered because he had had the dreadful feeling that he knew exactly who Hermione was referring too. She confirmed his suspicions by answering, "Abby. You have her and I want her back. Don't act…"

She suddenly stopped and looked at him. She must have seen his stunned expression because she sobbed hard and asked, "You don't have her do you?"

He shook his head, still trying to get his head around the fact that Abby was missing. Slowly he asked, "Why do you think someone has her? Why can't she just be lost in the woods or…at a friend's house?"

Hermione reached into her pants pocket and withdrew a piece of paper. Draco took it and read;

_I have her; your precious daughter is mine. All the lies are over with and now I have what has rightfully belonged to me for so long. All the pain and heartache I have suffered at your hands is over. I hope you suffer all you remaining life knowing that you could have prevented this. _

Hermione was now openly crying and just standing there, looking lost and confused. Knowing that she was possibly going into shock he took her by the waist and led her inside, out of the cold. Once inside he found the living room and made her sit down. He looked around, spotted the wet bar and went over to it where he poured her a glass of brandy. He brought it over to her and lifted it to her lips. She drank form it automatically, and when the liquor hit her throat and then her belly she gasped and started coughing.

The brandy had done what he wanted though since she started yelling, "What the hell did you give me that for?"

"To wake you up," he replied offhand. "Now, let's start at the beginning. When did you last see Abigail?"

"This morning," Hermione answered huskily, as the brandy was still scouring her throat and stomach. "She asked permission to go and see you. I told her that she could as long as she wasn't going to be away too long. She said she wouldn't be. She was supposed to be back two hours ago."

"Which is when she left my house," Draco confirmed. "When did _this _appear?" he asked, waving the paper a little.

She glanced at it, then looked away, answering, "A few minutes before you came. I thought I heard Abby on the porch so I went to the door and opened it. I intended to reprimand her for being late but she wasn't there. _That _was."

"Do you have any enemies that you know about?"

"No," Hermione shook her head.

"Why did you assume it was me?"

"I thought you were trying to…" she shook her head. "It doesn't matter. All that matters is finding Abby."

"It matters to me," he told her softly. "Why did you think I was behind this?"

"Do you really want to hear me say that I thought you were trying to hurt me all over again for what you think I did to you in the past?" Hermione shouted. "There I said it, now can I please focus on finding my daughter?"

Draco eyed her for a moment and then asked the burning question, "Is Abigail my daughter?"

Hermione's head swiveled around and she stared at him with wide eyes. She opened her mouth to speak but closed it again. Draco studied her face and thought he knew the answer but wanted to hear her say it. He repeated, "Is she my daughter?"

Hermione looked away as she said, "Abby is _my _daughter, not yours. She was never yours." She stood up and brushed by him, saying as she went, "And now, if you will leave, I have to find out who stole my daughter."

Draco was unable to move. Hermione's answer to his question was not what he had expected and he had not expected to feel so strangely saddened that Abby was not his daughter as he had thought. Until that moment he had not realized how very much he had wanted be Abby's father. The fact that he was not had stunned him. He needed time to think, but first he was going to help Hermione find Abby whether she wanted his help or not. Like it or not, he had come to care about Abby and he was not going to walk away from her or her mother, no matter what the consequences might be in the end.

Abby was missing and he was going to help find her and her kidnapper even if Hermione tried to kill him for it.

He was also not through with Hermione.


	10. Chapter 10

-1**I Have You!**

Abby's face crinkled into confusion as she suddenly found herself inside a small room. She had just been walking along the path leading to her home from Mr. Malfoy's, and now she was here, in this room. How had she gotten here? She tried to remember but it was as if she had gone to sleep and awoken here, with no memory of what had happened in between. It was almost as if someone had teleported, or even Apparated, her here. She had Apparated with her Mum once, but that had felt different. She had remembered that, and she did not remember what had happened now. This was different but she just was not sure how.

Wrinkling her brow, she glanced about the room. The room was really no bigger then a tool shed, which observation made her think about the one back home, the one that her Mum had let her turn into a club house. She let the memory fade for the moment, since she knew somehow that it was not the time or place for such things. A cot was pushed carelessly into one corner of the room with a gritty-looking bedspread thrown on top of it. A flat, dirty pillow was laying at the head of the cot, and it had a rag doll draped over it. The doll looked as if it had seen better days, its face was filthy, its yarn hair tangled and its dress torn.

Next to the cot was an old scared wooden table with a shaded candle-lamp on top. The candle was lit, and it caused the room to dance with eerie light. Abby suppressed a shudder and slowly turned to see the rest of the room. The walls were papered with an ugly flowered design and looked grimy. There were no windows at all, reminding Abby of the dungeons that she had read about. She hugged herself at the thought and, once again, tried to keep herself from shivering.

Her eyes fell on the door then, and a small sound of relief escaped her. She took a step forward, only to halt suddenly when the knob of the door twisted open. The door revealed a tall cloaked figure. When the figure took a step forward, Abby instinctively moved back a few feet. The figure came no further than the doorway, though. Abby strained her eyes, trying to see into the dark folds of the hood, but all she saw were shadows.

When he spoke, it was in a raspy whisper, "It worked. _I have you _."

"Who…who… who are you?" Abby stuttered, as fear set in.

He did not answer her; instead, he continued to talk as if she was not there. "Now, we'll see how well she does without you. Now we'll see who wins in the end." He paused, as if he was considering something, and then said again, "I have you. You're mine now. Forever."

Abby was trying to work out what he was referring to, but before she could puzzle it out, he was backing away, out of the room. She called out without thinking, "Hey, you can't leave me here!"

He stopped, and seemed to look at her, but since she could not see his face, it was hard to tell for sure. She had the strangest feeling that he was grinning at her, and a bolt of fear shot through her.

In that same raspy whisper, he said, "You're mine now. You'll never see your mum or dad again. You're all mine, forever-more."

Something in his tone sent icy shivers down her spine, but, even so, she said, slightly hysterically, "What do you mean, I'll never see my mum again?" She did not give him a chance to reply, though, because she had just realized what he had said. She blurted, "Do you know who my dad is?"

"I am your mother, I am your father. I am both now."

"You -"

"SILENCE!" seemed to be a yell though, he still spoke in that raspy voice. "You will remain here forever, with me. I am your father and mother now. You will never leave here."

With those final words, he swept away, closing the door behind him. The door seemed to snap shut with a bang that resounded around inside Abby's head like a table-tennis ball. She could only stand there, shaking, as the fear she had been holding back until now came over her in full force. It caused her heartbeat to triple as she gasped and her breath to catch in her throat and her body shook in small shudders. She somehow managed to hold onto enough control, though, so that she did not allow the panic to take fully over.

Latching onto that thin thread of control she still had, she shoved the panic aside and raced over to the door. She grabbed a hold of the knob and twisted. It did not budge. Knowing it was useless, but needing to do it anyhow, she yanked hard on the knob. As expected, nothing happened. Next, she started kicking and pounding on the door, all the while shouting, "Let me out of here! You can't keep me here. Someone, _anyone_, help me. _Please_. SOMEONE HELP ME!."

Her shouts turned into sobs, and though she had always believed herself to be a strong person, she sank to the floor in a crumpled heap. As the seconds flew by her brain retreated slowly from the knowledge that she was trapped and alone. Unaware of her mind's retreat, she closed her eyes slowly and was soon inside herself, in some safe place where nothing bad could happen. As her brain took her away, her body slowly started to rock and sway, as if she were an infant in her mother's arms. She pulled deeper into herself and, as she did, a keening came from her lips, a soft, mournful sound that would have broken her mother's heart to hear.

Abby was still alone, in the candle-lit room, but was no longer aware of it. Her brain had pulled her away from the horror and left her safe inside her own head.

_Two Days Later… _

Hermione refused the plate of food Ginny was offering. "I don't want anything to eat, damn it!" She shoved the plate away harshly.

"You have to eat. You may not want it," Ginny huffed, "but your body needs it."

"I don't care what it needs," Hermione replied, rather irrationally. "I can't eat it. My stomach is full of knots."

"It's full of knots _because _you haven't eaten anything in two days," Ginny told her reasonably, once again pushing the plate in Hermione's direction.

"I don't -"

"You need to eat," Draco announced as he strode into the kitchen. "You aren't doing yourself (or Abigail) any good by denying yourself food and therefore allowing your body to become weak and sick."

"Why are you still here?" Hermione demanded, feeling guilty because she knew he was right, but nevertheless unwilling to admit it.

"I'm here because you aren't," he replied cryptically, as usual. He snatched up a plate and started filling it with the food that Ginny had prepared and set out for everyone.

"What the _hell _does that mean?" The question came from Ginny.

"It means," Draco began evenly, "that she's not here, mentally. She's wallowing in self pity, and, frankly it's getting a little tiring."

"Oh, go away, Draco," Ginny breathed, annoyed. "Hermione doesn't need you badgering and harassing her."

"She also doesn't need you babying her," Draco pointed out.

"Maybe not," Ginny conceded, "but she I _does /I _need my sympathy and compassion. Abby's been missing for two days now, and it's harder then you -"

Draco interrupted, "We all know how long it's been since Abigail was kidnapped, Ginny. We don't need you rehashing that."

"Then why don't you show a little compassion," Ginny snapped, "instead of being so callous and cold about it all?"

"I'm not being either one of those things," Draco told her. "I'm just as worried and scared about Abigail as everyone else. However, I'm not going to let Hermione be alone in a bubble of despair, as if she's given up."

"Who says she's given up?" Ginny demanded angrily. "I don't think that's what she's done."

"Then, I suppose you haven't used your brain in the last couple of days or so," Draco muttered under his breath. Before Ginny could ask about what he had whispered, he said quickly, "Hermione's actions tell me she's given up. She's refusing to eat, refusing to talk to any of us, and shutting herself off in her room. Those things speak volumes, as far as I'm concerned."

"What would you have her do?" Ginny asked loudly, almost shouting now. "There's not much for either of us to do, since you, Harry, and my brothers have pretty much everything under control."

"Maybe we do," Draco conceded, "but that doesn't mean that Hermione should lock herself away from what we are doing. She can still be a part of what we're doing to find Abigail…even if all she does is make a nuisance of herself."

"Well, I can tell that you have no children." Ginny barked. "If you did, then you would understand better what Hermione is going through right now, and I do not think you should you be standing there passing judgment on something that you don't understand and never _will _understand, for that matter, until you have a child of your own."

"I may not have any children," Draco paused and glanced toward Hermione, but she continued to look down, so he went on, "but I care enough about Abigail that I think I have some idea of how Hermione feels. Just because she's not my -"

Hermione spoke up then. She jumped up from the stool on which she had been hunched over and turned blazing eyes on Draco. "You _care _about Abby?" She laughed bitterly. "You have no idea what it's like to be a parent. You haven't got a clue what it's like to lay awake worrying over every little thing, especially that first year. Can you imagine how you lay there, trying to sleep every single night? I didn't get much sleep, by the way because all I could was wonder whether she was too hot, to cold, to wet from a diaper, or, worst of all, whether she was still breathing. So I used to get up and a check a million times, just to ease that worry."

Hermione gulped in air, but did not let Draco speak. Instead she continued hotly, "You haven't even an ounce of comprehension of what it's like to hurt when she hurts or cry when she cries. Then there are the decisions. Did I make the right ones? What if the choices I've made aren't the right ones? Don't tell me that you _care_ about my daughter ever again, at least, not when you don't have even the slightest understanding of what I am going through right now. "

Hermione ended her tirade by turning on her heel and walking from the room, with Ginny following closely behind her. Draco watched them go calmly, and, as he did, he smiled just a little. He may have been a callous and cold bastard just as Ginny had accused, but he had accomplished what he had come into the kitchen to do. At least Hermione was no longer hanging her head with depression or despair…-she was now full of fire, and that meant that she would no longer sit by idly while others looked for Abby.

As for the words she had thrown in his face about not having children and never knowing what it was like…well that was soon going to change, and Hermione was going to help him change it…she just didn't know it yet.


	11. Chapter 11

-1

**Chapter Eleven**

**Old Enemies, New Friends**

Draco tapped a manicured finger on his desk as he allowed his thoughts to float haphazardly. Three more days had passed since he had nagged Hermione out of mopping about, yet they were no closer to finding Abby then they had been before. It was like Abby had simply vanished. It frustrated him beyond measure that, for all the magic, all the spells, and all potions he could do nothing to help find one little girl. Nothing worked; he and the others who were helping had tried everything without success.

Frustration was only part of what he was feeling. Worry and fear were slowly creeping into his heart, making it difficult for him to sleep. He was terrified, especially during the long nights, by the thought that the longer Abby remained missing, the lower her chance of being found alive became. The very thought of finding Abby's dead lifeless body made his heart beat faster and his breath catch. His emotions soon got the better of him and he tossed the cheap paper-weight Hermione had on the desk across the room.

It just missed Harry's head, who had been coming in, making Harry exclaim, "Hey, watch it!"

Draco scowled, but apologized, "Sorry, my emotions got the better of me."

"Well," Harry said, smiling slightly, "next time, try to think someplace where there aren't many heavy objects you can throw."

Draco nodded, then asked, "Did you discover anything that might help to find Abby?"

Harry's green eyes darkened a little with worry as he replied, "No. Neville and I tried that new spell we've been working on, but we didn't get anything."

"Oh," Draco replied dispassionately.

"We will find her," Harry insisted, though he was unable to hide the concern he felt.

"I refuse to believe anything but that," Draco returned, his voice hard.

Draco eyed Harry as he started walking from one book shelf to the next, glancing at the titles briefly. Even during the War, they had never become friends. They were no longer enemies, but they were still strangers in a lot of ways. War did strange things to all sorts of people - sometimes your friends become your enemies or your enemies your friends - but in their case they had simply become neutral acquaintances.

Draco had not considered the possibility of being Harry's friend until recently, and now he had a feeling that their shared past would prevent them from sharing anything more then what they already were. Draco had been terrible to Harry for so long that even he did not expect to be forgiven for it. Draco's only hope was that Harry did not interfere with his plans.

Draco looked more closely at Harry and detected a nervousness that had not been there when he had first come into the room. Suspicious, and just a little curious, he asked, "Was there something you wanted, Harry?"

Harry started to shake his head, then changed his mind and nodded instead, saying, "Yes."

When he did not elaborate, Draco prompted, "Well, spit it out?"

"I will," Harry replied, "just give me a minute or two to get what I want to say straight in my head. I don't want to mess it up - there are some of us, Draco, who can not just blurt out whatever we want to say. Some, myself included, need to work on it."

Since Draco did not detect any criticism in Harry's words he did not take offense to being called straight forward. He shrugged instead, and said, "Fine, take all the bloody time you need."

"Thank you."

A silence fell between them, a surprisingly easy silence. There was no awkwardness that Draco remembered from a long time ago.

_Anger, grief, fear, and more propelled him forward. Draco's emotions had never controlled him as they were doing at the moment. He had learned from an early age that emotions were for the weak, and that he was not weak. However, now he cared nothing about the consequences of his actions or what might happen to him - all he cared about was getting revenge._

_As soon as he entered the world beyond the door of the house that he was facing he would become a marked man. He would no doubt die before the week was over, because he was about to betray a very powerful wizard. He cared nothing about his life, though, because if he did die, he would at least die knowing he had tried to avenge his father. Reaching that goal of revenge meant he had to join forces with those he had once considered his enemy, and doing that meant he would have to go inside the house and talk to Potter._

_He walked up the stone walkway, and before he could think any longer on what he was about to do, he raised a fist and hammered on the door. He kept right on pounding until it was opened._

_The man who opened the door was not given a chance to say a word as Draco demanded, "I'm here to see Harry Potter, and I won't be leaving until I do."_

_Draco shoved his way past the man, into the hallway. The man quietly shut the door and said, "Please follow me."_

_Draco was so surprised that he had not been stunned, or worse, killed on sight, that he followed the man without thought. He was led to another door down the hall. The man rapped lightly and pushed it open. He said, "You have a visitor, Harry."_

_Draco could see past the man now and saw that Potter was looking down at a book that he had opened in front of him. He did not bother to look up as the man spoke, carelessly replied, "Fine, show him in."_

_The man stepped aside and ushered Draco into the room. Once Draco was inside, man stepped back out, shutting the door behind him. Draco looked around briefly and noticed that the room was some sort of small library. There were books everywhere - on shelves, on tables, even on the floor. He regarded them briefly, then returned his attention to Potter._

_The growing quiet disturbed him, causing him to feel edgy and nervous. He swallowed hard; he was not about to let anyone, especially Potter, see how out-of-sorts he felt. He held his composure, though as the minutes ticked away, it became harder to do. His experience was limited when it came to this sort of thing, but what he did know was that he was not going to lose this inner battle. He was not going to lose control over what little sense he had remaining. If that meant allowing Potter to poor over the book he was reading for a few more minutes, then that was what he would do._

_The only problem was that the silence continued to grow until Draco felt as if it was the enemy and that he was battling something he could not possibly win against. That thought only made him more determined to stay silent and still. He was not going to lose anything more then he already had, even if what he was fighting was nothing more then the workings of his own twisted thoughts. He felt as if he was suffocating, but still he was determined not to lose his control. He knew he was close to losing it all, but he was not going to be the one to break the uneasy silence that seemed to hang over the room. Bringing Potter's attention to his presence would make Draco feel as if had lost - he was not a loser._

_His control was seeping away, ever so slowly, and just when he thought he could take it no longer, Potter looked up._

"_Malfoy!"_

_Potter looked surprised, but he also looked as if he was ready to fight. Draco ignored both reactions, and, forgetting the speech he had rehearsed, blurted, "I've come to join you and the Order."_

"_Huh?" Harry replied, momentarily taken back. "Did you just say you had come to join the Order?"_

"_Yes," Draco gritted out. "I want to join with you to defeat You-Know-Who."_

"_Voldemort?" Harry asked, still looking a little dumbfounded over what Draco had just requested._

"_Yes, Potter," Draco snapped. "What part of this isn't getting through to you?"_

_Harry took a moment to let it sink in. After a moment, he narrowed his eyes and said, "Really? You want to join me and the Order? And I'm supposed to believe that? I'm supposed to believe that you've suddenly had a change of heart and have seen the light? Do I look like an idiot, Malfoy?" Harry waved a hand and said, "Forget I asked that last part, since I already know what you'd say. Well, here's a news flash for you, Malfoy, you may /I _believe_ I I'm an idiot, but I'm actually not."_

"_I don't care about what you think of me, Potter," Draco told him, trying to keep sarcasm from his tone. "I have not 'seen the light,' as you put it, but I do want to join forces with you."_

"_Why?" Harry asked suspiciously._

"_Revenge," Draco stated simply._

"_Revenge?" Harry repeated. "Revenge for what?"_

"_My father's murder." _

"Yoo who, Draco?"

Draco came back to the present when Harry snapped his fingers in front of his face. He pulled back slightly and asked, "What?"

Having gained Draco's attention, Harry moved back and said, "I've been calling your name for five minutes now. Where the hell did you go?"

"Thinking too hard, I guess," Draco said, rubbing his hands over his face. "Sorry."

"No need to apologize," Harry told him gracefully.

Draco asked, "So, what did you want?"

"I think it's time we put the past behind us," Harry said in a rush, surprising Draco.

Before he let himself believe that Harry was saying what he thought he was, Draco asked cautiously, "Exactly what do you mean by that?"

"Just what I said," Harry shrugged a bit as he took a seat across the desk that Draco was at. "We started, I'll say, our "dislike" of each other our very first year at Hogwarts, and that continued up until our last year. Then something happened and you joined the Order. You never betrayed us, never left us, and you fought along side us to the bitter end. We never talked then, or since, but I believe that, though we may never be the best of friends, we can at least try to be just plain friends."

Harry paused, took a breath and continued, "For a while, I didn't think I would be able to let the past go, but now I know I can. We were children and, well, things aren't always easy. Look, what I mean is that I've done a lot of thinking these past few days, not just about us and our history, but about a lot of things - and I think we should just let the past go and start again. What do you say?"

"I say that you are very long-winded," Draco drawled, "After all, you could have just said, 'let bygones be bygones and let's start again.'"

Harry blinked once, slowly, then burst out laughing. When he was able to stop, he said, "Yes, I suppose I could have said that, but then my very well-rehearsed speech would have been wasted."

"Finely wasted too, if you ask me," Draco said jokingly.

"Maybe," Harry conceded good-naturally. More seriously, he said, "I have a few reasons for wanting us to start over, but the one that matters, at least right now, is that you've changed a bit over the years. I mean, ten years ago, if someone one of us cared about had been kidnapped, you would have shrugged your shoulders and been on your way. But now, here you are trying to help and comfort us, in your own way. I really don't think you're that nasty little boy you once were, no offense."

"No offense taken," Draco said still smiling a little. "But don't be so sure about that boy being gone. He's still in there; I just don't let him out to play very often."

"I'll keep that in mind," Harry said, grinning.

There were a few moments when neither spoke and then Harry said leisurely, "Well, I promised Ginny I would be the one to make dinner tonight. See you later."

Draco watched him go, wondering what other reasons Harry would have for wanting to start fresh with him. He shrugged - maybe someday he would ask Harry. For now, he had to concentrate on finding Abby.

Abby's mind was not so far shut away from the outside world that she was unaware of what was happening around her. Although her body remained still, twitching only slightly every so often, she was awake. At least, the primitive, strong part of her was. While the vulnerable part of her stayed safely tucked away, the harder, more determined part of her stayed alert - watching, waiting, planning.

The kidnapper had come in several hours after she had retreated within herself. Upon finding her lying on the floor, he had lifted her onto the cot. She had been there ever since. The man brought her meals three times a day and the baser part of herself woke just long enough to sustain nourishment before returning to the catatonic state she had fallen into.

Every so often, the kidnapper would come in and stand over her still form. Sometimes he would mutter and talk to himself in his creepy whispering voice; at other times, he would just stand there, saying nothing. It was these times that disturbed Abby more then when he spoke. At least when he was talking, she knew what was on his mind. He had not yet removed the hood from his face, and Abby never wanted him to. Even the strong side of her wanted his face to stay a mystery.

Each day was another battle with herself, though. She was fighting the weaker half of herself to gain control so that she could plan her escape. She would get away, even if she had to kill or be killed trying. She was only nine, but she already knew that there were times when the extreme was called for, and that this was one of those times. Slowly, the tougher part of her inner mind was winning the battle. Minute by minute, hour by hour, her mind was reawakening to the strength that Abby had always believed herself to have. She was healing, slowly but surely.

She would be home soon - she believed that more than she believed in anything else. She was going to get away - she would continue to observe the kidnapper. She would watch, wait and plan.


	12. Chapter 12

-1

**Chapter Twelve**

**My Lips to Your Ears**

"It's been nine days, Ginny," Hermione said, choking back a sob.

Draco was standing right outside the doorway, listening to the women talk. He had been looking for Harry or Neville but had stopped upon hearing Hermione. He felt slightly guilty for eaves-dropping (a remnant of his 'good' days at the Order, he supposed but did not feel bad enough to stop.

"You can't give up hope, Hermione." Ginny's voice was soft with sympathy and concern. "We'll find her."

"When and how?" Hermione cried. "I can't sleep for fear of having more nightmares. I can't eat because I feel guilty that Abby is out there, maybe starving to death. I can hardly function anymore because I have no idea how she is fairing and that makes me feel even worse, because, if I could pull myself together, I might be able to give more help in finding my daughter. I want my daughter back, safe and alive."

Hermione ended with a mournful sob. From his position, Draco could just see the two women. Hermione's face was slightly turned away, and Ginny's back was to him. Ginny reached over and took Hermione's hand, insisting, "We'll get her back, safe and alive. Not a single one of us - not me, not Harry, not Neville, not even Draco - is going to give up until we have Abby back."

"All of you have been so good to me," Hermione said, wiping the tears running down her cheeks with the back of her hand. I know it hasn't been easy on you or anyone else, being away from your families to help me. I'll be in your debt forever."

Ginny scoffed at the idea, "You will _not_. You would do the same for any of us if we were suffering, so you don't owe us a thing."

Hermione sighed, and said shakily, "I had never believed it possible to love someone so deeply. I never thought I would be able to love Abby as I have come to love her - she has become my world. Sometimes that's a bit scary, but I wouldn't change it for anything."

Ginny nodded, saying, "I feel the same about my children. Do you think you will ever tell -"

Hermione shook her head, cutting Ginny, "I don't know the answer, Ginny, and I don't want to discuss it, please."

"Alright," Ginny agreed. "We will find Abby, and she will be safe, healthy and bursting to tell everyone about the adventure she had."

Hermione laughed unsteadily and said, "Yes, that definitely sounds like Abby. She used to say that everyday was a new day filled with possibilities and adventures." Her smile faded. "She's so bright, smarter than I ever was. I don't want to lose her."

Draco had the sudden urge to go into the room and wrap his arms around Hermione. He wanted to offer her comfort and hope - anything to make her pain go away. He contained the instinct, however, and stayed where he was.

"It's odd," Hermione was saying.

"What is?"

"All I keep thinking about is how I was one of the brightest students of my year…" Hermione said, "…and yet, for all my smarts I'm unable to do anything to get Abby back."

"You can't keep thinking like that, Hermione," Ginny said quietly. "Somehow, with all of our brain power combined, we will find a way - you just have to keep thinking positively."

"I do," Hermione admitted. "I'm staying positive, which is something I didn't think was going to be easy, but it actually is. It's easy because my gut, my heart, and my soul tell me that Abby is alive. I may not know who has her, or where she is, but I do know she's alive."

Draco spotted Neville and, not wanting to get caught, he quickly stepped away from the door. Walking toward where he had seen Neville, Draco thought about the conversation he had just heard. There was something Ginny had said that kept returning to his thoughts. She had asked Hermione, if she was ever going to tell… What was Ginny referring to? More to the point, who was she referring to?

Draco thought back to the day he had asked Hermione if Abby was his daughter. He realized suddenly that Hermione had never actually denied that he was the father. In fact, he remembered her words exactly, "Abby is my daughter, she was never yours."

Draco had a nasty feeling in the pit of his stomach as he and Neville set to work on a new Locating spell they had decided to try. Abby was his daughter - he just had to get Hermione to admit it. But first, he had to find Abby.

Draco discovered Harry in the kitchen, bending over a very large flat-looking cauldron. Draco cleared his throat to gain the Harry's attention. Harry did not bother to look up but just said, "Come here and look at this."

Draco went over and looked into the bowl. Inside was something that looked like water, but what made Draco's breath hitch in his chest was what he could see in the smooth surface. It was like looking into a magical picture: it moved, but there was no sound. Abby was there, sitting on some sort of cot, eating from a small bowl. There was not much else to see, but Draco could tell that she was inside a small room.

"Where is she?"

"I'm not sure," Harry explained, sighing slightly. "I can see Abby, but I can't seem to get a location."

From the kitchen entrance, Hermione breathed, "You can see her?" She came running over to stand beside Draco and looked into the bowl. "Oh my God."

Harry said, "She appears to be unharmed, so I consider that a bonus for getting this spell to work."

"She's alive," Hermione whispered, so softly Draco almost did not hear her.

"She is," he agreed. He turned to look at Harry over Hermione's head, "How is this working? Normally, this sort of spell would need a location to see."

Suddenly Hermione spun around and glared at Harry, "Is this a Dark Arts spell?"

Draco, knowing that the Spying Spell was a form of the Dark Arts, ignored Hermione and repeated, "How did you get this to work?"

"It's not anything to do with the Dark Arts," Harry assured Hermione before looking back at Draco. "Believe it or not, I got this out of a Muggle magic book - titled - _White Magic for the Practicing Witch_. The spell is, I guess, supposed to allow you to communicate with another person who has a similar bowl or looking glass. The spell in the book also called for a known location, but I tweaked it a bit, and here are the results!"

"Amazing," Hermione murmured, unable to stop herself from being intrigued.

"To tell the truth," Harry continued, "I didn't think it was going to work, but after so many failures I thought it was worth a shot and, well, you see that I got a hit."

Thinking aloud, Draco said, "I wonder if we could possibly play a little bit more with the spell and get a location?"

"That's what I was originally hoping for," Harry admitted, "but I tried that for over three hours and got nothing. It was only after I tweaked the spell to just see Abby that I got anything at all."

"Even so," Draco muttered, "it's good work. At the very least, now we can rest assured that Abby hasn't been physically harmed."

"Harry," Hermione said quietly, "let me see the book you got the spell from."

Harry picked up the book from the counter and started to pass it to Hermione. Draco reached over and grabbed it first. He quickly flipped through it before handing it over to Hermione.

"Thank you," she snapped.

Draco only smiled thinly at her as he returned his attention to Harry. "I think we can try 'tweaking' a few of the other spells in that book. Maybe one of them will work."

"Playing around with magic can be dangerous," Hermione said, her head still bent over the book.

"Possibly, it is," Draco agreed coldly, "but, unless you have a better idea, this is all we have to work with."

"I wasn't saying you shouldn't give it a try," Hermione said, annoyed. "I was only -"

"Pointing out the obvious," Draco finished dryly. "Something else you are good at, I might add."

"I was only cautioning you and Harry to be careful," Hermione said firmly. "Especially Harry, since I wouldn't want to see him hurt."

"Oh," Draco drawled, "so, it's okay if _I_ get hurt?"

"I…I…." - Hermione stammered, before stiffening her shoulders and saying, "I don't want to see anyone hurt."

"Then you admit that you don't want me to get hurt, either?" Draco asked, trying to back her into a corner.

"Yes…no…maybe?," Hermione said, flustered. She swallowed hard, looked away and then back again and said, "I would prefer that you don't get yourself injured while residing under my roof."

"Does that mean that it's alright if I injure myself outside your house, or would you prefer that I do so off your property entirely?" Draco asked, still pushing.

"That's not what I'm saying at all," Hermione snapped angrily.

"Sure the hell sounds like it to me," Draco needled.

"Then I suggest you get your hearing checked," Hermione yelled, losing control. "Or better yet, let me knock some sense into you so that you can hear straight."

"Threatening me with violence now?" Draco sneered. "I don't suggest you try, since I am positive I will win any fight you insist on starting."

"I don't need to get physical to knock your head about," Hermione shouted. "All I need is my wand and a really strong hitting spell."

"I can match you in that skill, too," Draco retorted.

"You're impossible," Hermione cried out, tossing her hands about in the air. "You twist everything I say around to suit what you want to believe, and then you have the nerve to act as though you're superior. Here's an idea, why don't you just stay away from me and I'll stay away from you?"

"That sounds like a splendid idea," Draco shouted back, "but here's the flaw, this house isn't big enough for the both of us, and before you suggest I leave, let me assure you that I have no intention of leaving until Abigail is back here safely."

"Great," Hermione bit sarcastically, "Then let's just agree to stay out of each other's way."

"Fine."

"Good," Hermione snapped as she stormed out of the room. "Then it's settled."

"Nothing's settled, you little twit," Draco called after her, "but I'll take what I can get for now."

Draco heard soft chuckling from behind him, and turned in time to see Harry wipe the grin off his face. Draco demanded, "What is so damned amusing?"

Harry shrugged and casually asked, "So, how long have you been in love with Hermione?"

"I'm not," Draco denied quickly.

"Oh, okay, whatever you say," Harry replied, but the silly grin was back on his face.

Draco gave up and stomped from the room in very much the same fashion as Hermione. I _Am I that easy to read/I _He wondered, _Or is Harry just more astute then I've ever given him credit for?_ His plans were not going as he had hoped. Hermione was not cooperating, and his mood was growing more and more annoyed by the minute.

Draco slammed the door behind him as he entered the room he was currently using, and started pacing in circles. He needed to calm down and stop letting little things get to him. Of course, he did not actually believe that he could calm down, at least not until they had Abby back.

First Abby, then Hermione.

All the patient waiting, the vigilant watching, and the compulsive planning was going to pay off, and Abby knew it. However, it was the waiting that was trying her already raw nerves. She was losing patience, but she could not afford to toss it away now. She was hanging onto it with a bare thread, for she knew that for all her watching, waiting and planning, she had gained only a small advantage.

Soon, though, she would put her plan into action. Even the thought of doing something was making her feel jumpy. She wanted to bolt at every little noise she heard, but, through sheer determination, she kept herself still and silent, waiting for the kidnapper's return. Soon, she would be free, and then her only worry would be finding her way home.

At least, that was her hope.


	13. Chapter 13

-1

**Chapter Thirteen**

**Something of Hope**

Abby wanted to scream with frustrated anger, but swallowed the urge and remained silent. Her plan was falling apart, causing her to feel a mixture of emotions. She was not only frustrated and angry beyond compare - she was scared, sad, too. Most of what she was feeling was directed at her kidnapper, since she was blaming him for everything, including the fact that her plans were crumbling before her eyes.

The thought of her kidnapper made her recall what she had dubbed him, Spooky. Every time she thought of it, she wanted to giggle uncontrollably, but just as she had suppressed the scream, she controlled the crazy impulse to laugh. She knew with some strange instinct that any signs of real life would take away any advantage she had over Spooky, so she continued to pretend to be almost comatose.

However, Spooky was not there. He had not made his usual morning appearance. In fact, Abby had not seen Spooky since the evening before, and that was starting to frighten her more then she wanted to admit. Though she did not have a clock or a watch to keep track of the time, she knew that it had to be past the time form her morning meal, since her stomach was rumbling in protest. Then again, her protesting stomach might be nothing more than strained nerves, since she was hoping to pull off her plan today. Even if Spooky came in with food, she was not going to get a chance to eat any of it, so she ignored her belly and concentrated on listening for Spooky's arrival.

The waiting was tearing her up inside. She had planned everything she was going to do, right down to the last little detail, but as the time for her to implement her plan drew closer, her insides twisted and doubt seeped in. As the seconds ticked, by she was becoming less inclined to believe that she could pull anything off at all. Her confidence was suffering a major blow, and she knew that if she did not stop thinking about it, her chances of escape were going to become zero.

She could not afford to dwell on the endless possibilities of something going wrong. She had to stay focused. She had to keep her thoughts in check. The down-side of having a vivid imagination was that her mind never rested; instead, it kept trying to take her places she did not want to go. Her imagination wanted to go to a place that allowed her to envision what might happen to her if her plan failed. She refused to let her mind wander too far in that direction, though, because it only made the waiting all that much worse. She had to stay positive. She just had to. She had to escape.

Abby did not allow herself to think about failure, she shoved it out of her head because, if she allowed her mind to take her there, she was terrified of what she might see. So, she shook the fearful images away and refocused her attention on making her plan work - for the battle was coming. It was a battle she had every intention of winning.

Just as that thought formed, the door creaked open. Abby tensed in anticipation and waited.

Harry approached Ginny from behind, making no effort to conceal his approach. Even so, when he asked, "What are you doing?" Ginny squealed in surprise, jumped visibly, and spun around to face her husband.

Looking every bit as guilty as she felt, she replied quickly, "Oh, uh, nothing."

Harry rocked back on the heels of his feet and eyed his wife critically. After a moment, he said slyly, "Nothing, huh?" When Ginny looked away from his scrutiny, he said, "Are you telling the truth?"

Instead of answering him, she tried to change the subject by demanding, "Why are you sneaking up on me?"

"I wasn't sneaking," Harry shot back, grinning now.

"You were indeed sneaking," Ginny accused.

"No, I wasn't," Harry insisted. He was not about to let Ginny get away without answering him, so he demanded again, "You, however, are looking very, very shameful right now, so why not 'fess up and tell me what you're up to?"

"I wasn't -" Ginny started to protest once again, but changed her mind. She shook her head, and sounding only slightly ashamed, she confessed, "I was watching Draco and Hermione."

Harry frowned and asked, "Why in the heavens are you spying on those two?"

"I wasn't spying," Ginny denied hotly.

"Alright," Harry agreed, not wanting to get into an argument over a technicality. "Why are you _watching _Draco and Hermione?"

"Because," Ginny said, "they're at it again."

"Huh?" Harry asked dumbly. "Exactly what are they "at" again?"

Ginny sighed dramatically and said, "They're arguing again, and you know what that means?"

"Yes," Harry agreed, "It means that one of us should get in there and play referee before one of them kills the other."

"No," Ginny said, sounding annoyed, "It means that they're going to kiss."

"Huh?" Harry said again, this time completely confused. "How the bloody deuce did you come to that conclusion?"

"It's simple," Ginny explained slowly, as if educating a dim child, "they love each other!"

"Well," Harry exclaimed, exasperated now, "I know that, but how does an argument lead to kissing just because they love each other? I mean, neither one of them will admit their feelings, so I don't understand how you came to such a ridiculous conclusion?"

Ginny rolled her eyes, "Men are so clueless." She pointed a finger at Harry's chest to emphasize her point, and then said, "Think about it, you big lummox. When we argue, how does it usually end?"

Harry's confused expression lasted only a few more seconds before it cleared. He grinned, "Ohh."

"Yeah, ohhh." Ginny grinned back and then asked, "Want to watch the show with me?"

Draco pushed his chair away from the kitchen table in frustration. Patience was not one of his better attributes. The fact that neither he, Harry, Neville, nor anyone else, for that matter, had been able to come up with a spell that would tell them where Abby was located was making what little patience he did possess slowly evaporate. Draco leaned the chair back slightly as he eyed the notes he had scattered over the table with disgust.

No spell that any of them had tried was working, and they were making no progress at all. Every spell they attempted ended with disappointment and aggravation. The more they did, the more discouraged they became. There was also the fact that the more they failed, the less focused Draco became, as his mind continued to drift toward thoughts of Abby and how she was faring.

The spell Harry had managed to conjure was still working, and Abby's image was still there for all of them to see. It at least allowed them to see that she was still unharmed, but it was no longer _that _possibility that disturbed Draco. What was bothering Draco was that every time he peered into the watery glass surface that projected Abby's image, she was lifeless and zombie like.. She seemed to lie still all he time, only moving when the cloaked figure that Ginny had spotted once came into the room to offer a meal. It was the only time that Abby showed any signs of life. It scared the hell out of Draco. It was beyond frustrating that he could see Abby but was unable to do anything to help her.

It was also not helping that, as time went on, the tension inside Hermione's house was becoming thicker. There was so much pressure on everyone to find Abby and to bring her home safe and sound that everyone's nerves were stretched as far as possible. Draco understood the reason behind his wildly changing emotions…- but, even so, it was difficult not to lash out when lashing out was so much easier than allowing his emotions to bottle up inside him. Of course, all the minor bickering was hindering, rather then helping, but Draco had no idea how to stop himself, from taking his raw emotions out on everyone around him.

Draco was not used to being in such close contact with other people for extended amounts of time. It was one of the reasons he had been so resistant to Abby's insistence that they become friends. People tended to dislike him for his past, or, if not that, they tended to dislike him for his satire wit and blunt ways. He was used to isolation - pure uninterrupted solitude - and the sudden change of being inside a house full of people strange to him. Thinking about it now, he almost wished he had at least some experience in dealing with so many people at once - if he had experience, then he might not be so quick to snap.

Draco was distracted from his thoughts just then, when he caught movement out of the corner of his eye. He turned quickly to see Hermione entering the kitchen with a mug in one hand and a book in the other. The book she was holding, - 'The Guide to White Witchcraft' - was practically pressed to her nose as she read, paying no attention to where she was going. Draco took a moment to marvel over the fact that Hermione had the talent to walk and read at the same time; he was sure, he would have walked into a wall if he had tried to do the same.

A minute later, he did not find Hermione's talent so fascinating, however. She was attempting to place her mug on the table with her nose still glued to the book. Before Draco could tell her to look out, she let go of the mug, not realizing that she had put it on top of a crumpled bit of parchment. As a result, the mug tipped over, spilling the dark liquid all over the notes on the table.

Draco shot out of his chair, toppling it over in the process, and shouted, "Watch what the hell you're doing!"

Hermione looked up, a bemused expression on her face. Slowly, she looked from Draco to the mug and the mess, then back to Draco. She took in his irritated expression and said slowly, "Sorry."

Draco took exception to the casual way she apologized and growled angrily, "Is that all you have to say? You just ruined a whole day's worth of work and all you can say is a bored '"sorry?"'

Hermione's back went up in defense, and she said heatedly, "You shouldn't have all this stuff lying about, at least not here, not on the kitchen table."

Draco raised one eyebrow and said sarcastically, "Oh, really, and where would you have me lay it about, exactly? Where do you suppose I work? Oh, wait, I don't really have a workspace!"

"Work in the den, in the office," Hermione said testily, "or here's a great idea, _your _house."

"You'd like that, wouldn't you?" Draco sneered nastily, "then you wouldn't have to worry about me discovering all your little secrets?"

A guarded look came into Hermione's eyes, and she said softly, "I don't have any secrets. At least, none that I worry about where you're concerned."

"Really?" Draco drawled, his voice deceptively soft. "Is that the truth? I don't think so. In fact, I I _know_ /I it's not the truth."

"Believe whatever you want, Draco," Hermione retorted coldly, but Draco could see fear in her amber eyes. "You'll believe whatever you want anyhow - you always do - and more than half the time, you're wrong."

"Maybe," Draco accepted, "but not this time."

"Yes," Hermione hissed, "even this time. You never listen. That was your problem back then, too, and I can see that you haven't changed. You'll never change. The truth might be staring you in the face, but all you'll see is whatever you want to see."

"I listen, Hermione," Draco mocked, "I hear _everything_, and I can put the clues all in order just as well as your overworked head can. "

"What the hell do you mean by that?" Hermione asked, the fear in her eyes building.

"Whatever you want it to mean, of course."

"Why the hell do you have to be so damned cryptic?" Hermione shouted, losing her temper. "Why can't you ever just say what it is you mean exactly?"

Draco smirked, "Where's the fun in that?"

"God," Hermione groaned in infuriation, "you are so bloody irritating. When are you going to start making sense?"

"When you start telling the truth," Draco snapped, losing his temper now. "When you start to see that everything is relevant."

"There you go again," Hermione accused. "What truth would you like to know, Draco?"

"If you don't know what truth I'm after, then it's not worth hearing," Draco replied angrily. "I want you to be the one to decide to tell me."

"Why can't you -"

Draco could not handle it any longer. The urge to take her into his arms and kiss her overcame him, and he was useless to stop it. He stepped forward, effectively cutting off anything she was about to say, grabbed her up and crushed his lips down on hers.

The first taste of her was exhilarating. He had not forgotten how sweet her lips tasted, or how they seemed to fit so perfectly to his own. He was like a man who had been denied his greatest treasure for too long as he slanted his lips over hers, trying to possess her, trying to get inside her. He wanted more of her - all of her. He softened the kiss when he realized that she was responding just as passionately as he was. He deepened it when she moaned from somewhere low in her throat.

He could not get enough of her. He wanted to be closer, so he yanked her body against his. Her hands came up and grabbed fists of his hair. For a moment, he thought she was going to try and yank his head away, but instead, she tried to pull him even closer. He groaned a little himself then, unable to contain what he was feeling.

It was only when he realized that he wanted more than a simple, heat-melting kiss that he was able to break away. He took a hasty step back as he tried to gather his wits. He was breathing hard and his heart was doing double-time against his ribs and he felt as if he had just gotten through a round with the best duelist in the world. He looked up to see Hermione standing there, two fingers pressed against her lips, looking just as disheveled as he felt.

Shock and desire warred inside her eyes, and it was all Draco could do not to snatch her back and devour her some more. He knew, though, that if he took her again it would not stop with a kiss, so he started to walk away before the compulsion to do just that became too much for him.

As he went by the flat cauldron that continued to show Abby, his gaze fell there. What he saw made him stop and take a closer look. Abby's hazy likeness floated there, and as Draco watched his eyes widened and he whispered, "Oh God, no."

Hermione raced over to his side upon hearing his soft exclamation. She hesitated only a fraction of a second, terrified of what she might be about to see, before she leaned over and gazed into the watery surface.

She did not whisper as Draco had, she screamed. "Oh God, Abby?! No!"


	14. Chapter 14

-1

**Chapter Fourteen**

**The End of the Beginning **

Abby waited until Spooky was leaning over her before making her move. As usual he had set the tray of food down on the bedside table and was now leaning over Abby to 'wake' her. As he reached down to shake her awake, Abby quickly twisted her body around so that she could brace her back against the wall. Just as quickly, she kicked out with all her strength. Her feet connected with Spooky's chest, sending him stumbling backwards.

Abby did not hesitate or give him a chance to regain his footing. She snatched up the candle-lamp that was lying next to her and launched herself off the bed. As she did, she brought the candle-lamp down upon Spooky's head, hard. For a terrifying, dizzying moment, Abby was afraid that she had not hit him hard enough. She brought the lamp up high again, intending to hit him one more time, but Spooky swayed and bent at the waist for only a second before tumbling to the floor face first.

He almost landed on top of Abby's feet. She leaped backwards, not wanting too get to close. Shock at succeeding rooted her to the spot for a full minute. She stared down at the unconscious form, her face full of amazement. Her plan had worked - not only that, it had worked much better then she had anticipated. She had not thought that Spooky would go down so easily, and now that he had, she was not at all prepared for the next step of her plan.

Another minute passed as Abby stood silently, unable to make any decisions. Gradually, her senses returned, and she spun away from Spooky and ran for the door which he had not bothered to shut behind him. Abby did not stop to try and get a sense of where she was. Instead, she let instinct guide her, and it led her to the only light that shone in the dimly lit hallway. The light was coming from a window which was at the top of a set of stairs. She did not pause to think, but ascended the stairs as fast as she could.

At the top, she still did not stop to take in her surroundings. She took note only of the fact that she was in a single room and that there was only one door. She sprinted for the door and, in her haste, forgot even to twist the knob, sobbing when the door refused to open. Only when she stopped to think did she realize that she had to turn the knob. With a cry of relief, she pulled the door open. With another shout of triumph, she rejoiced, letting the chilled air of the evening outside wash over in icy waves. She sucked it all in; the air, the sky, and the fact that she had won - finally!

As she took one step forward, a hand clamped down on her shoulder.

Abby screamed.

Hermione's entire body was consumed with fear. It controlled her and, without thinking, she reached out and touched the cool liquid in which her daughter was projected. As her fingers skimmed the surface, the spell Harry had cast broke and fell away, leaving the surface of the water dark and worse, blank. Hermione jerked her hand away with a cry of grief and horror, but it was too late.

The sound of Hermione's sorrowful exclamation smashed its way through Draco's shock, and he jumped forward just in time to stop Hermione from crashing to the floor. She tried to fight him off, but he held her firmly, crushing her to his chest as he offered what little comfort he could. He held her tightly; soothing her with senseless and meaningless words that he knew offered her no reassurance. Even so, he clung to her, hoping that what little he could do was enough.

Harry and Ginny came running into the kitchen, concern written on both their faces. Draco looked at Harry over the top of Hermione's head and shook his head firmly. Harry, thankfully, understood that Draco did not want to discuss what he and Hermione had seen just yet.

Harry turned to Ginny. "Take Hermione upstairs, do whatever you have to do to calm her, even if that means giving her Sleeping Potion."

Ginny did not offer any protest. Instead, she came quietly over to where Draco stood, still clutching Hermione to him, and took hold of Hermione by the shoulders. When Draco seemed reluctant to let her go, Ginny said compassionately, "I'll take good care of her, I promise."

Draco realized that he had a death grip on Hermione. He eased his hold on her and nodded to Ginny. "I know you will."

Just as Ginny was leading Hermione from the room, Neville rushed in. He waited until the two women were gone before asking, "Did I just hear Hermione scream?"

Draco raked a hand through his hair, making it as messy as Harry's was naturally. He sighed and said, "Yeah, you did."

"What happened?" Harry asked quietly. Draco could hear the worry in his voice.

"Abigail -" Draco started, only to have to pause so that he could recover a little of his composure. When he was sure that his voice was not going to crack, he said, "Abigail must have attempted an escape. Hermione and I saw her standing in a doorway leading outside. She looked…" Draco let a ghost of a smile touch his lips as he said, "…pleased with herself."

He paused for a second, the memory of seeing Abby alive and like herself after so long, stirring his emotions a little too much. Before Harry or Neville could ask anything more of him, though, he went on, "I think she was about to make a run for it when that bastard who took her caught up with her. She must have screamed, though we couldn't hear it, and then she started fighting with that…that…" Draco waved a hand eloquently, unable to come up with a suitable name for the man who had Abby. "Anyhow, right before Hermione touched the water, it looked as if the kidnapper was about to curse Abby with a spell.

"What happened then?" Neville questioned, concern written all over his face.

Draco shrugged, "I have no idea. It was then that Hermione touched the water, and everything went blank." He turned to Harry, "Please tell me that you remember, or, better yet, wrote down the spell you used to visualize Abigail."

"I did," Harry assured Draco. "I'll go get it now, and we'll make sure that she hasn't been harmed, but then we are going to work non-stop until we come up with a spell or something that allows us to get to her."

"You don't have to convince me," Neville agreed, his voice a little shaky.

Draco said nothing as Harry left the room to get the sheet he had written the spell on. He did not want to admit it, but he was terrified for Abby, and it was making him just as shaky as Neville had sounded. Without a word, Draco went over to the table he had been working at and started gathering all the bits and pieces of parchment he and the others had made notes on. Once he had them all, he went over to the kitchen counter, for more space and began laying them all out. His reasons were twofold - one, he could see all of the notes at a glance and, two, it was giving the notes a chance to dry.

Neville came over and silently started helping him. The two worked in silence until Harry returned a few moments later. Harry walked over to where the two other men stood and pulled the cauldron toward him. He took a deep breath produced a small vial of some clear substance from within his robes. He uncorked it and tipped it over, letting two drops hit the water. He looked at the others and explained somberly, " _Spiritus Locus_, better known as the Breath of Life."

Draco was impressed. The elixir of which Harry spoke was rare and very hard to come by. He fleetingly wondered how Harry had gotten a hold of it and made a mental note to ask him sometime. For now, though, he concentrated on Harry. Draco was always keen to learn new spells and new ways of doing magic, so he watched Harry closely as he performed the spell that he had created.

Draco was surprised to hear Harry chanting. It was low, so low that Draco discovered he was leaning slightly forward in order to hear what was being said, and even then, he did not understand a word. Harry was speaking in what Draco recognized as Old Latin -unfortunately it happened to be the one subject Draco had never excelled at. He sighed and decided he would just have Harry teach him the spell some other time. Of course, there was the part where the spell called for _Spiritus Locus, _which Draco was not sure he had. He would have to check his ingredients for it when he returned home.

Draco turned his attention to the watery surface, waiting to see Abby appear. When minutes passed and Harry had grown quiet, Draco demanded, "Why isn't it working?"

Harry did not look up from the cauldron when he replied, "Wait a moment more. I thought it had failed last time, just like you, but it actually takes a little longer to work."

Draco was losing what little patience he had when the surface of the water started swirling as if moved by invisible hands. He leaned over to look inside, as did Harry and Neville - the three of them were so close that their heads brushed against one another. The misty illusion slowly parted, and they saw that they were looking at Abby's kidnapper. None of them had ever seen the person's face, but, whoever it was, they were not happy. The person was quite literally throwing a temper tantrum.

As the three men watched, the person threw a lamp, closely followed by a vase, a flat-looking object that Draco assumed was some sort of dish, and a few smaller objects at the wall angrily. As he watched, a small smile lifted the corner of his lips. Draco looked up to see Harry looking back at him, the same smile plastered over his face.

Neville, who was still looking into the cauldron asked, clearly confused, "What is that person doing?"

Amused, Draco replied, "Throwing a temper tantrum, it seems."

Harry's grin widened as he concurred, "Yep, that's what he appears to be doing."

"Yes…" Neville allowed, vexed at their cryptic replies, "…I can see that for myself, but why is he so angry?"

"Abigail got away," Draco said, a little surprised that Abby had somehow managed to escape, after all.

This time, Neville looked up, surprise written all over his expression, "Escaped? How do you conclude that just because some guy is having a fit?"

Harry was the one to answer. "Because, when I performed the spell, I wanted to see Abby - but I made one little mistake." Before Neville could ask what that mistake had been, Harry told him, "The spell requires you to envision the person, but I envisioned the place _and _person since I had a general idea of what the room she had been held in looked like."

Neville was obviously still bemused, because he was frowning when he said, "I see, but that still doesn't explain -"

Draco interrupted to enlighten the poor man. "Don't you recognize the room the kidnapper is having his fit in? It's the same room that Abigail had been trapped in these past couple of weeks. What's, or rather, who's missing, though?"

Neville finally understood as he exhaled, "Abby."

"Right you are!" Draco agreed happily. He turned to Harry, "Can we re-work the spell to find Abby? She's got to be close by, wherever she was. Maybe if we can see her, we can determine where she is and rescue her before the kidnapper finds her."

Harry nodded, "Sure, let me just empty this out, and we'll get started."

With their moods considerably lightened, they got to work.

Abby did not remember how she got away. She had a few recollections of kicking Spooky, swinging her small fists and even biting him, but they were hazy. All she could recollect now was that, at some point during the struggle, Spooky had hollered in pain and released his hold on her. Abby had not waited to find out what had caused Spooky's pain; rather, she had turned and fled as fast as her little legs would take her.

She had not taken note of which direction she was headed, and that worried her, but definitely not as much as the idea of Spooky being right behind her. The cold fear of being caught again kept her feet pumping even as they burned with exhaustion. Every time she thought of slowing down, a vision of Spooky right on her heels made her keep up the hasty pace she had set. It was not until she found herself inside a tight cluster of trees that she was able to force herself to stop.

Abby collapsed against the nearest tree trunk. Her breathing was harsh and ragged. It felt as if every part of her ached from the energy that she had just spent. Every time she breathed, it felt as if she was breathing in fire. Her side stabbed her with a low throb and, her legs protested simply because she moved to sit down and her head felt woozy. Abby looked back at the way she had come, as she did, another shot of horror enveloped her. Spooky could find her by simply following her prints in the snow.

Ignoring the screaming objections of her body, Abby quickly got to her feet and started to frantically look around for a solution to the current problem. At long last, she came up with the idea of brushing her tracks away. She searched for something to do that with, and found a fallen tree branch with pine needles still attached. She walked for a full ten minutes before she decided she had gone far enough and then began using the branch of needles like an oversized broom. She swept it from side to side, erasing all traces of her run. For extra good measure, she swept the make shift broom in a few other directions so that, when she was done, it appeared (at least to her untrained eye) as if the soft strokes in the snow were natural and not made by a little girl.

Abby walked backwards to the thick grove of trees she had been in before, sweeping away her prints as she went. When she was back under the shaded trees, she tossed the branch aside, adding her arms to her list of aches. She did not want to sit back in the snow; she was already starting to feel the chill of the air, and getting wet would only make it worse. Abby looked around, her thoughts jumbled as she tried to decide what to do next.

She was not sure exactly where she was, but knew that she was at least a few miles from home. She knew the area well, since her mum had never restricted her from wandering. Over the years, she had trekked up and down the hills and valleys and thus knew them well. Knowing them as well as she did was a good thing, but it also allowed her to know that she would not make it very far in the fading daylight. She was thinking clearly enough to know all that, but could still not decide on what to do next.

The night air would bring colder temperatures, and all she had was her winter cloak. Abby stuck her hands in her pocket and touched something fuzzy. She pulled it out and discovered that is was her colorful hat, scarf and gloves. She almost yelled in glee but, since she did not know where Spooky was, she restrained herself with some difficulty. Instead, she slipped all three garments on and instantly felt better. Somehow, having her winter things made her feel as if she was going to be okay, and feeling that way allowed her brain to clear and be able to think.

Abby spotted a low-lying branch on a nearby pine tree (Was it a spruce? She could never tell the difference.) and walked over to it. She peered up into the branches, wondering if what she was thinking would work. She decided it would, and began to climb, but before she even got up onto the first branch, she happened to look down and saw that her tracks led right to the tree. She frowned, thinking hard again. If, by chance, Spooky did come this way, he would see her footprints and know that she was in the tree. She did not want to believe he would come this far, but she did not want to take the chance of doing nothing and leading Spooky right to her.

She jumped back to the ground and retrieved the broom-branch that she had used earlier. She started at one end of where she had been walking and cleared all evidence of her presence. Once she had reached the tree, she put the broken branch down and used that to step on to reach the higher limbs of the tree she was going to hide in.

Abby climbed until she found a nook in the limbs. She twisted around until her back was against the trunk of the tree, then tucked herself in, wedging her legs and upper torso between branches so that she would not fall. Once she was sure she was secure, Abby leaned her head back and closed her eyes. She was so tired that she felt as if she could sleep until next winter, just like a hibernating bear.

The thought was still floating around in her mind as she drifted off.


	15. Chapter 15

-1

**Chapter Fifteen**

**The Lost One**

The chirping of winter birds woke Abby. She gradually and slowly stretched herself awake. Only when she had her eyes wide open did she notice the pine needles above her head. She frowned and wondered why there was a tree in her room? Just as quickly, she remembered that the tree was _not _in her room she was _in_ the tree. The scuffling of something on the ground made her jump slightly and she almost lost her balance. She quickly calmed her racing nerves, thinking,_ It's not Spooky. If he were going to find me, he would have already. It's probably only an animal looking for its morning meal. _

Even so, Abby scooted around a little so she could peer down through the dense branches, trying to see if she could spot whatever it was that had startled her. It was not easy; the branches obscured most of the ground below. Eventually the noise went away and Abby leaned back, relieved. Abby looked toward the sky, sighing a little as she did. She had made it; she had escaped Spooky and made it through the night without falling from the tree. The score, she would have to say, was on her side. Abby smiled a little, pleased with herself.

After allowing herself a moment to gloat, she set her mind to more important matters. Her first order of business was to get out of the tree, but even before that, she had to discover a safe and easy way to scout the ground for signs of Spooky. Peering up through the thinning branches above her head, she glared at the early morning grey sky and thought hard. She could climb down a few feet, part the branches and look around. Turning her face away from the top of the tree and the dreary sky, she looked down. She bit her lip as she tried to work her plan of action out in her head.

At long last, she had her route planned. Carefully, she eased from her perch, and started down. She was more cautious going down than she had been going up. Her best friend Holly's brother had once climbed the large oak tree in Holly's backyard to show off. He had down a fine job going up, but when he had started back down, he had lost his grip and fallen from the tree. He had knocked his head and broken both his arms in several places. Because Holly's family was Muggle, Jerry had been in very large, uncomfortable arm cast for over two months. Abby did not want the same to happen to her.

She carefully made her way to her planned destination and sighed in relief when she was safely perched, once more, on a different branch. Slowly, she reached out and parted the branches right below her. There were tracks everywhere but even to her untrained eye, she could see that a human had made none of the impressions in the snow. Abby parted the branches further and looked further out. Nothing moved that she could see and the prints in the snow were the same everywhere she looked. She thought it would still be prudent to stay where she was for a little longer.

She let the branches fall back into place as she leaned back up and rested against the trunk of the tree. She had looked and now she wanted to listen. She cocked her head to the side and closed her eyes, listening hard to the sounds around her. She heard the birds that had caused her to wake up, but nothing else. She frowned and tuned the birds out. Gradually, other noises filtered in. She heard the scratching of an animal, another animal was knocking against a different tree, and there was something else making sniffing noises a few feet away. Satisfied that she was hearing only normal forest noises, Abby opened her eyes and started planning her next move.

At long last, she came to the only logical course of action available to her: leave the tree and attempt to find her way home. All she had to do was discover something familiar and she would know which way to go. The only problem was that she was not sure where she was and if she did not find anything by evening, she was going to be stuck sleeping in a tree again. She did not relish the thought of having to spend another night in a tree, but she also did not like the idea of staying in the one she was currently residing in.

With a sigh, Abby twisted around once more and started down. She had only moved down to the next branch when she thought she heard someone shout her name. She tilted her head, going completely still as she listened.

"**Abby!**"

The shout was followed by another, this time in a woman's voice. "**Abby!**"

Abby's expression went from frowning confusion to shocked disbelief in seconds. That second shout had been her mother, she was sure of it. _No,_ Abby thought, _it couldn't have been Mum. _

Abby moved so quickly, that she was sure she was going to fall, but she dismissed the thought and continued down. She was almost at the bottom when a thought struck her. _What if I'm right and it's not Mum? Maybe its Spooky using some spell to change his voice to make it sound like Mum is looking for me. _

Abby stopped and bit her lower lip as she thought about the possibility she had just presented to herself. She did not know if Spooky was that smart or not and it was that reason that she decided not to risk being caught again. She started climbing as swiftly and quietly as she could back up the tree. She would play it safe and wait to see whom the person really was. She did not want to start wandering around the forest and bump into Spooky.

Abby almost made it back to her previous spot when another voice called her name. She paused once more and listened, unwilling to believe that she had heard correctly. The voice yelled for her again and Abby sobbed in pure relief. The voice was Mr. Malfoy's and there was no way Spooky could have known about him. Unmindful of the consequences, Abby flew out of the tree, jumping the last few feet. Thankfully, she did not break or sprain anything. Once she was on the ground, she raced toward the direction she had heard the shouting coming from.

As she ran, she screamed for her mother. "_Mum_, _**Mummy! **_ I'm right here. Mummy."

Abby came careening into another part of the forest and immediately spotted the group of people. Among them was her mother. She cried out and as she did, Hermione turned and came running forward. They met somewhere in the middle where Hermione fell to her knees and grabbed Abby to her chest. She held on so tightly that Abby had to shout.

"Mum," Abby said in a muffled voice. "Mum, your squishing me and I can't breathe."

Hermione let up on the pressure, but refused to let her go. She pressed Abby's small head against her shoulder and rocked her as if she were once again a baby. Abby did not care, she was simply so joyously happy to be in her mother's arms again that she did not want to let go either. She clung to Hermione just as hard as Hermione clung to her.

However, Draco, mindful of the cold and wet, said, "I think we should go back now."

Hermione held on a few more minutes before leaning back and looking at her daughter. Abby looked unharmed, but even so, Hermione had to hold back the urge to crush Abby to her again. Instead, she reached up and wiped the tears away from Abby's face with a gloved hand. "I'm so sorry, baby."

In typical Abby fashion, Abby cocked her head and asked, "For what?"

"For letting you…" Hermione could not finish the sentence. Relief that her daughter was unharmed overwhelmed her for a long moment. Abby was back and safe, but something else was overtaking her; cold, pure rage swept through Hermione. At that moment, she wanted nothing more than to track down the man who had taken Abby, and release her rage on him.

Abby saw the fire come into her mother's eyes and said, "Oh no, Mum's about to explode."

Her innocent comment calmed the raging storm that was brewing inside Hermione, she half sobbed, half laughed, as she said, "Let's get you back home."

"Okay," Abby said aloud. Then she whispered something in Hermione's ear that had Hermione chuckling more then crying.

Hermione nodded once. "Then I guess we had better hurry."

Abby blushed then because what she had secretly told her mother was that she was in desperate need of a bathroom.

"I don't care what _you _want," Hermione snapped in Draco's direction. "She's my daughter and I don't think that grilling her about what took place is the right thing to do right now. She needs time to recover."

"She'll have plenty of time to rest and recover," Draco retorted angrily. "She needs to tell us everything while it's still fresh in her mind."

"No," Hermione insisted stubbornly, her jaw hardening. "She can tell-"

Harry interrupted her. "Draco's right, Hermione. It's better if Abby tells us everything now instead of later. I learned a long time ago that it's better to relive the experience right away, rather than allow it to build up inside."

Hermione faced her best friend. She glared. "Now you're on his side. When did that happen?"

"I'm not on anyone's side," Harry replied irritably. "I'm speaking from experience. Dumbledore once made me tell what happened right after it had happened. He said it was better that I get it all out so that I could rest easier later, and because I would feel better for having done so. He was right and that's why I'm saying it's best for Abby to tell us now rather than later."

"I don't think-"

"Stop being so bloody stupid and over protective." Draco took a step forward and said his face set in a stone mask, "Abigail's tougher than you give her credit for. If she weren't, she would have never gotten away from the bastard and we would still be looking for her."

"I-"

Once again, Hermione was prevented from completing her thought aloud. This time, though, it was because Abby entered the room. Abby looked upset and Hermione asked, "What's wrong, honey?"

"Where's Wicker?"

"Wicker?" Hermione repeated stupidly.

Abby nodded. "Yes, Mum, Wicker; you do remember my dog, don't you?"

Draco smiled a little at the sarcasm he heard in Abby's tone, but kept quiet. He looked to Hermione, waiting to see what she would say since the truth of the matter was Draco had not seen Wicker since Abby's last visit to him.

Hermione shook her head but said, "Yes, of course I know who Wicker is."

"Well," Abby drawled, "where is he?"

"Uh, I'm not quite sure," Hermione, replied, stalling for time. "He's around somewhere. Why don't you look for him while we finish up in here?"

"All right," Abby agreed, though she looked suspicious. "I'll be back in a few minutes."

The moment Abby was out of hearing, Draco smirked in Hermione's direction. "You don't know where that monstrosity she calls a pet is, do you?"

Hermione did not deny it, saying, "I haven't seen Wicker since the morning Abby went to visit with you. I didn't give him a thought once Abby was taken."

"That's completely understandable under the circumstances," Harry offered as comfort.

Hermione shook her head, disagreeing. "No, it's not. Abby loves that dog. She'll be devastated if something has happened to him."

"I'm sure Wicker will turn up somewhere," Ginny said soothingly.

"Let's hope not," Draco mumbled under his breath, recalling the fact that he did not particularly like the animal.

Harry cocked an eyebrow in Draco's direction. "Did I just hear you say you hoped Wicker did not show up?"

Draco tried to wave Harry's question away, saying, "Not at all."

"Yes, you did," Neville interjected, amused.

"I know you did," Harry said, smiling now. "Why would you not want Wicker showing up? Don't you like Abby's pet?"

"I never said-"

Harry cut him off. "Come on, fess up?"

Draco sighed and explained, "That, er, beast of Abigail's has knocked me down more than once. Abigail claims it's because he likes me, but personally, I think he's out to take a bite from my hide."

"Oh," Harry said. His smile grew larger.

"Don't you dare laugh, Potter," Draco warned, but it was too late.

Harry started laughing and it was apparent that he did not intend to stop anytime soon. Draco turned his fierce glare on Ginny and Neville who both looked as if they were intent on joining Harry's amusement. Ginny swallowed hard, tried to stop smiling, but lost the battle and was soon laughing just as hard as her husband was. Neville managed to control his outburst, though a large grin remained on his face. Draco looked away in disgust and his gaze fell on Hermione. She was smiling softly but, still had a worried look on her face. At least one person in the room was not as amused, even if that person had issues that were more pressing.

Having had enough, Draco took a threatening step in Harry's direction, but that only made Harry laugh harder. Draco sighed heavily and resigned himself to being the source thier of amusement for now. When Harry finally had his chuckling under control he said, "I'm sorry Draco, but it's hard to imagine someone like you being terrified of Wicker. The animal may be large, but he really is just a big old baby."

"Potter," Draco warned. Harry looked as if he was going to laugh once again.

Harry waved a hand and said, grinning, "There's no need for violence, Draco. I'll never mention it to a single soul."

Just then, Charlie Weasley, who had showed up early that morning, came into the room and asked, "What will you never mention to a single soul?"

"Oh, only that Draco's afraid of Abby's dog, Wicker," Harry said, tongue in cheek.

Draco groaned aloud and walked away to the fireplace in order to stop himself from pulling out his wand and casting a few choice curses in Harry's direction. Charlie looked amused, but at least he did not start laughing. He said, "What, that big old baby. Draco, I'm surprised."

Draco felt it prudent not to reply, so he bit the inside of his cheek and kept silent.

Charlie shrugged and looked to Hermione. "Since Abby's been found, I hope that you won't be too angry with me for leaving. Georgina is due any day now and I don't like being away."

Hermione smiled and shook her head as she went over and hugged Charlie. "Of course, I understand. Tell Georgina that I'll be there soon to see her. Give her and the rest of the family my love."

"Will do," Charlie agreed before saying his goodbyes to the others.

Right after Charlie left, Abby called from the back of the house, "Mum, where's Wicker's dog food? He's starving."

Draco looked up at Hermione in time to see relief flood her face. She called back, "It's in the pantry."

"Okay, thanks."

"Looks as if we're saved from forming another search party," Draco commented dryly.

Harry grinned wickedly and said, "I suppose we should make sure that there are clear paths to all exits too. Just in case Wicker decides to attack you again."

"Do shut up, Harry," Draco growled.

Ginny giggled and said, "I'll make sure that the big bad doggy doesn't bother you, Draco."

Draco closed his eyes and counted to ten before saying, "Keep it up and you'll all be sorry."

No one took him seriously, but he was saved from further humiliation when Abby returned, a big bowl of dog food in both hands. Wicker was close on her heels. She noticed them all watching her and said, "He refused to stay in the kitchen and eat so I thought it best to bring it in here since you guys want to know what happened, right?"

When no one said anything, Abby sighed as an adult might have and explained, "I'm not deaf. I heard what you guys were talking about." She glanced at her mother. "It's okay, Mum, I can tell you what happened, and it won't bother me."

Hermione could only stare at her daughter for a moment. When she finally found her voice, she said, "Fine." Looking at Harry, and then Draco, she said, "Keep it brief."

For the next few hours, they asked questions and Abby answered as best she could. Hermione called a stop to the grilling when she noticed Abby's eyes starting to droop. She took Abby up to her room so she could nap and since Wicker refused to leave her side, she allowed him to come along.

After the two were gone, Harry said, "This isn't over. Whoever it was that took Abby was not happy that she got away. I'm guessing we'll be hearing from him soon."

"I agree," Draco replied, looking anything but pleased. "I don't think it's a good idea that Hermione remain here, in such a remote area, either."

"That won't be a problem," Harry said, and then explained. "She was planning on waiting a few more months, but since this happened, Hermione has decided to move back to her parents' place within the week."

Draco, looking and sounding a little surprised asked, "When did she make that decision?"

"She told me while we searching for Abby in the woods this morning," Harry said with a shrug. "I was going to suggest it anyway, but, well, she came to me first."

Draco stepped back as his brain thought of all the possibilities this presented him. He let the other three carry on with whatever they were discussing as his thoughts wandered. Hermione was no longer going to be a thousand miles away. She was going to be within easy Apparating distance and that very fact had him giddy with delight. This was going to be his chance to make sure everything fell into place and that included making sure Hermione never vanished from his life again. As for Abby, and who her father was, Draco knew the truth would come out eventually.

Draco let a small smile play about his lips, truly happy for the first time in years.


	16. Chapter 16

-1

**Chapter Sixteen**

**Letters**

Draco entered his penthouse apartment and tossed his travel bag in the corner of the hall. A maid would be by in the morning and though Draco was not necessarily a messy person by nature, but right then he did not care whether the maid had to pick up a little more than usual. He had done most of his traveling the magical way, but he had flown back to England the Muggle way, which was something he hoped to have to never experience again. He had done so only because it had given him a little extra time with Hermione and Abby since Abby was not allowed to Apparate yet.

Draco pushed the memory away since thinking about it only made him recall his irritation. Instead, he reached for the mail that was on the hall stand and began flipping through it. There were a few notices from his office, some junk mail, and three personal letters. He tossed everything back on the stand except for the last three. He took those with him as he headed for the living room.

After sitting down, he turned his attention to the letters. He opened the one from his mother first. His mother had changed after his father's death. Draco had been unsure of the change at first, but over the years, he had come to like the new Narcissa. She was less snobby and condescending; she had more compassion and understanding. Of course, Draco believed that some of his mother's new attitude had a lot to do with Calvin Watkins. Cal, as he liked to be called, had wooed Narcissa only a few months after Lucius' death and they had married a year later. Cal was the sort of person that Draco would have snubbed if his father had still been alive, but Draco actually liked his stepfather.

However, it had still been a shock to Draco when his mother and new stepfather had announced they were going to have a baby. Hayden was born shortly after they married and then almost a year later, Aria came along. Draco had not been so sure about his much younger siblings, but eventually they had both won him over. In fact, his younger brother and sister were the only children he knew that he did not feel weird when around them. Of his two siblings though, Aria held a special place in his heart. She was… Draco laughed aloud at what he was thinking. Aria was just like Abby. In fact, the two girls were so alike in personality that Draco now understood why it had been so hard to resist Abby's persistence.

Still chuckling, he skimmed over his mother's letter. He rolled his eyes a few times because his mother had a tendency for melodrama and this time was no different. He decided to he would make a point to visit her and the rest of the family the following morning. He shifted his attention to the second letter; this one was from his sister.

_Dearest Draco (my favorite brother), _

Draco smiled.

_I hope that you are well, and not getting into too much trouble. Mum says that you have this tendency to find trouble no matter where you go, whom you are with, or what you are doing. I do try not to believe everything Mum has to say about you (or anyone else), but it is hard to ignore her some days. Anyhow, Dad assures me that you will not be gone for much longer; I do hope that he's right. I don't like it when you go away. I miss you terribly and worry about you all the time._

_Okay, I won't be Mum and try to make you feel guilty for taking a vacation._

_Hayden was being obnoxious the other day, calling me a baby because I was asking Dad if he thought you would be back in time for my birthday. I was so mad at him, but don't worry, I got even. I put Itching Powder in his shoes. Mum was so furious with me she sent me to my room for the entire day. I didn't care though; he deserved it, and he shouldn't call me names. Mum thinks sending me to my room is going to make me sorry, but it never does. I don't mind being in my room. I spent the day writing to Nana and Papa, Aunt Shelly and Polly, and I wrote Great Aunt Irma a letter. Dad had been bugging me to write her for weeks. I, finally, got the chance to read the book you bought me for Christmas. I liked it so much I have since reread it twice._

_I mentioned that I asked Dad if you would be back in time for my birthday. I hope you are. I will be ten in two weeks. Mum is throwing me a birthday party and I really want you there. I won't have any fun if you don't come, so you had better come home. Mum says I have to invite Wanda Haskins and I don't really want to. She's such a mean and hurtful person; I just know she'll say something rotten to someone, but Mum won't allow me to tell her she can't come to my party. Just the other day I caught Wanda torturing the little boy next door. He's only five and such a sweet little kid, but Wanda had him crying so hard he could hardly breathe and I was terrified that his tears might flood the neighborhood. I put a stop to it, but I know Wanda only went off and found someone else to bully._

_Mum says that you were a bully when you were a boy. Is that true, Draco? I surly hope not but I have a feeling Mum's telling the truth. Of course, even if it is the truth you know I still love you; after all, you're my big brother. So, even if you were a bully, I know that you aren't any longer and that makes it okay, because that means you learned it wasn't a nice way to behave._

_Well, Mum just told me I had better finish this off so she can post it along with the one she's written you. I know she's probably told you how wrong it is to have gone away without telling anyone where you are going, but I know that you need time away so just ignore Mum's ramblings. Just come home soon; I miss you. If you don't come see me soon I will have to sneak out again and come find you, and you know Mum and Dad will get angry just like last time, since they think I'm a baby and cannot take care of myself._

_Love you big brother, love Aria. _

Draco was smiling by the time he had finished Aria's letter. His sister had a way about her that, even when he was upset, that could make him smile. He also knew that her threat to sneak out and seek him would become a reality if he did not go and see her soon. That cinched his plans for the morning; his dear little sister had seen to that.

Draco picked up the last letter. He ripped it open and began reading. The smile on his lips vanished as he read. It replaced with a deep frown. The letter read,

_I do not blame you for your part in what has happened, but I am telling you now to stay out of my way. I mean you no harm but if you get in my way again, I cannot guarantee your safety. My destiny was planned for me and I will not allow you or anyone else mess things up. Even though you are supposed to be a part of my destiny, I will not let you stop what should be. I will fulfill my destiny and I will get back what was taken from me._

_Waiting all these years has caused me so much pain, but I have endured and will continue to endure, until I have what is mine. You have been warned! STAY OUT OF MY WAY!_

_Justice _

_P.S. Please remember the promise given._

Draco read the letter several times, trying to make sense out of it. Who the hell was this person? He was not sure, but he had a feeling that the person calling himself Justice was the same person who took Abby. Draco folded the letter and set it aside for the moment. He leaned back into the soft cushions of the sofa, thinking hard.

The entire thing was a mystery. Who was out to get Hermione through Abby? Who, besides Hermione's close friends and family, had even known about Abby? Draco knew, for a fact that Hermione having a daughter was not well known or else he would have heard about Abby long before he met her. Was Abby part of the mystery, or was she just being used as a pawn in this Justices' game? Draco's brow furrowed as he tried to puzzle it all out in his head. He did not have any answers, only more and more questions, the harder he thought about it. He decided that he would have to add Harry to his list of people to go and visit the next day. Maybe Harry would have a few answers.

Shoving the matter aside for now, as there was nothing more he could do, Draco got up and went to the kitchen. As he prepared a light meal before he headed for bed, his thoughts turned, as they usually did, to Hermione and Abby. He was actually relieved and just a little surprised over his joy at being home, but he also understood why he felt as he did. In the past he had returned home feeling much the same way he had upon his departure, but this time was different and all because he had found Hermione, and in doing so he had found Abby.

Hermione was no longer a memory that he could not touch, see, or hear. All he had to do now was, pop over and knock. He smiled at that thought. Hermione might not like just how often he intended on doing that, but she would soon get past that, or at least he hoped she would. It was his plan; or rather, part of his plan. Hermione was just going to have to get used to having him around, because he did not intend to go anywhere and he had not intentions of ever letting her out of his life again.

Draco slept that night without dreams and with a smile on his face.

The following day Draco did not bother knocking on his family's door as he entered in the early morning hours. Draco briefly reflected on the fact that he did not knock. If his father had still been alive, he would have expected Draco to follow all formalities, such as calling before coming for a visit, knocking and waiting for entrance, and all sorts of other silly little rules. Of course, Draco had never thought those formalities silly until he had met Cal. Cal did not follow rules and niceties; he was more open and honest than that. Draco had been stiff about the new openness for a while, but now it was like second nature to him, at least where his family was concerned.

Draco headed straight for the back of the house and the kitchen. The housekeeper and cook, Millie, would already be up and Draco was hoping she had made muffins. Millie made the most delicious, moist muffins Draco had ever tasted and it had become a habit of his to check in with Millie first thing to see if she had baked any.

He had also come to love and respect Millie. She was one of the few Muggles that knew about the magical world. Draco had once believed that if a Muggle knew about magic they would always be demanding something from the wizards and witches they knew, but Mille never asked for a single thing, except her paycheck when it was due. That was only one of the reasons Draco felt as he did for Millie though. She was also blunt, honest, caring, sweet, and funny. Draco suspected that she was in her early eighties but one could never tell by looking at her. She looked fifty, acted forty, and wanted to believe she was thirty.

When Draco entered the kitchen, Millie was at the stove, bent over, and looking into the oven. He inhaled deeply and his mouth started watering from the rich aromas floating in the air. The scent of freshly baked muffins filled the kitchen and Draco barely restrained the urge to groan in pleasure. Instead, he snuck up on Millie and grabbed her about her plump waist. She shrieked in surprise, spun in his arms to face him and swatted him lightly on the arm even as he started twirling her about the kitchen.

As they made another pass around to the stove he said, "Marry me, Millie?"

She giggled like a schoolgirl, as she always did when he asked the same thing on each of his visits. She tapped his shoulder lightly and said, "Stop dancing me around this kitchen, you goof."

"Not until you agree to marry me," he said and twirled her once more.

She chuckled and replied, "You only want me for my muffins."

"No," he denied, shaking his head. The conversation was one they had had a thousand times over the last few years, but he loved teasing her. "I also love your stew, your roast, your pancakes, your-"

She stopped him from going any further by saying, "Oh, stop it." She laughed and managed to pull away from him. She indicated the bar stool with the hand still holding a spatula. "Have a seat and I'll get you a muffin."

"You're an angel sent from the gods, Millie," Draco told her as he did what she had suggested.

"And you're the devil come to tempt me away," she said with another chuckle.

Draco played as if her words hurt by placing his clasped hands over his heart and saying, "You wound me with your words."

"Stop being silly," she told him. She came over and put a saucer in front of him with a muffin on it. "Here you go and when you're through with that, you can take one more and another for your sister."

"Where is Aria this fine morning?" Draco questioned around a mouth full of muffin.

"Game room," Millie replied as she returned to the stove and removed a pan. "I think she's reading."

"Reading in the game room?" Draco shook his head. "Only Aria would read in a room designed to be played in."

"That's Aria for you." Millie placed the pan on a cooling rack and turned to study Draco as he savored the muffin. After carefully looking him over she said, "There's something different about you."

"Can't imagine what that would be," Draco said with a shrug.

"Humph," Millie grunted. "I know there's something there, but I can't quite figure out what it is. Don't worry though, I will."

Draco did not say anything in response. He asked, "Where's the rest of the family?"

"Your mother's in the visitor's living room, entertaining her morning guest. Cal's in the den trying to avoid your mother and Hayden was in garden but he might be back up in his room by now," Mille replied.

"Mum's got guests this early?"

"Weekend visitors," Millie mumbled.

"Oh."

"Don't see why you're so worried about where everyone is," Millie commented shrewdly. "You're here to see Aria, first and foremost."

Draco grinned, "You know me to well Millie; it's yet another reason you should marry me."

"If I married you, all the young ladies that have been trying to snatch you up would be completely destroyed," Millie replied knowingly and then added, "and my dear sweet Larry would be heart broken."

"No, he wouldn't," Draco disagreed wickedly. "All those young ladies would be ripe for the picking if you ran away with me."

Millie shook her head and shoved two more muffins his way. "Go on, get out of here. Go see your sister before she runs off to find you as she's been threatening to do. She'll be delighted to see you."

"Who will be delighted to see…?"

Draco tensed even as the woman's voice faded away. He turned to see Pansy Parkinson enter the kitchen. His expression hardened even as Pansy's pinched face attempted to soften, which only made her look worse.

In a voice coated in false sweetness Pansy said, "Well, hello there, Draco. It's been much too long since we've seen each other."

"Not long enough as far as I'm concerned," Draco muttered. He heard Millie muffle a chuckle. He looked her way and she rolled her eyes. Draco had to choke back his laughter. It was obvious that Millie disliked Pansy as much as he did. He ignored Pansy and said to Millie, "I'll see you later, love."

"Oh," Pansy said shrilly upon hearing that, "are you leaving already? I was hoping you and I could do a little catching up, if you know what I mean?"

Draco suppressed a shudder. The image her words brought to mind made him want to run from the room even faster. He said, as he brushed by Pansy, "I'm not here to see you, Pansy. I have other people I have to see."

"Just I who /I is more important than me?" Pansy demanded, her voice going even higher.

"Aria," Draco replied shortly.

Her next question brought Draco to a halt, "Aria? Who's Aria? Is she your girlfriend?"

Draco looked over Pansy's shoulder to Millie, who shook her head and shrugged her shoulders. How was it possible that Pansy did not know the name of his baby sister? The woman was either stupid or…no she was just really stupid. A wicked gleam came into his eyes when he said, "Aria is the love of my life."

With that, he left the kitchen, leaving Pansy sputtering and Millie choking on suppressed amusement. Draco smiled a little himself. He had detested Pansy at Hogwarts and his feelings had not changed. He could admit to himself that the only reason he had allowed her to fawn over him as she had was that it had made him feel superior and well-liked. It was something he had felt a great need for even if having to have it meant hanging out with people he did not like, and in some cases, hated. Now that he was older and just a little wiser, he no longer had a need for the same things and therefore did not feel horrible over what he had just done.

He arrived at the game room and spotted Aria right away. Aria laid curled up in one of the straight back chairs, a book opened on her lap and her head bent over so that her long platinum blonde hair fell over her face. He cleared his throat to gain her attention but got no response. He tried again with the same results. Aria could become so engrossed in what she was reading that the outside world became nonexistent. He said, "I suppose I can come back since you are otherwise occupied."

His voice did the trick. She looked up, swept her hair back from her face and squealed in delight upon seeing him. She jumped out of the chair and launched herself into his arms. He caught her and spun her in a circle, hugging her tightly. She lifted her face to his and smacked her lips against his cheek loudly.

"I'm so happy you're back," she cried joyfully. "It's been forever since you left."

"It's not been that long," Draco argued lightly.

"Has too," she insisted. "Never mind though, because you're back and that's all that matters."

"Good," Draco said, setting her back on her feet, "because I really didn't want to have to defend myself."

"I _was _starting to worry though," she confessed. "You've never been away this long."

"I ran into an old friend and had to help her out," Draco explained without going into detail. "But hey, this friend has a daughter about your age and I've been thinking maybe you two should meet."

"Really," she said interested. "How old is she? What's her name? Is she nice? What does she like? Where does she live?"

Before Aria could go on he said, "Whoa, slow down. I can't answer if you don't give me a chance."

"Well hurry up and tell me everything."

Draco chuckled at her impatience and began telling her all about Abby. He stayed for over an hour visiting with Aria before popping in to pay his respects to his mother and stepfather. He also made a point of seeking Hayden out, finding him in the garden just as Millie had said. Hayden loved experimenting with creating new plant specimens, something Draco found just as interesting. They talked for a little while about Hayden's newest experiment before Draco finally said he had to get going. He wanted to stop by Harry's house also and if he waited too much longer, he was not sure he would catch Harry at home.

He went straight to Harry's, where he rapped a knuckle against the door. A minute later, the door opened and Draco was facing a boy of about three. The boy stuck his thumb in his mouth and looked up at Draco with wide green eyes. Draco sighed and wondered if the new life he was going to lead was constantly going to have children in it?

To the boy he said, "Is your father home?"

The boy's red hair bounced as he nodded.

Draco asked next, "Can you go and get him for me?"

This time the red hair swayed as the boy shook his head in the negative. Repressing another sigh Draco asked, "Why not?"

Instead of answering him, the boy asked Draco, "Who're you, mister?"

"Draco Malfoy."

The kid's plump little cheeks puffed out and he said, "Oh."

"Now that you know my name, will you please get your father for me?" Draco asked, hoping the boy would go.

Once again the boy shook his head, but this time he explained, "Daddy's in his office and he said that if I bugged him again, he would have to paddle my butt. I don't want my butt paddled, it hurts."

Draco bet it did but did not say so aloud. He asked, "Can you get your mother for me, please?"

Draco wanted to groan when the head shook once more. "Nope, Mummy says I'm being a nu- a nui- a pest. Mummy's trying to get Jamie ready for her dance recital and she said if I don't stop being a pest I'll have to sit in my room." His lips formed a small frown. "I don't like sitting in my room."

Draco was not sure how to proceed. If the boy had been older, Draco would have simply demanded that the boy go and get one of his parents, but since Draco suspected that the boy was no more than three, he just could not bring himself to be harsh. Just then, he was saved from trying to figure it out when he heard Ginny ask, "Kevin, what are you doing?"

A second later, Ginny appeared in the doorway. Draco wanted to shout with relief but held it back. The boy looked up at Ginny and said, "This man knocked. He wants Daddy but I can't bug Daddy anymore. He wanted you too, Mummy, but you said-"

Ginny rolled her eyes and cut her son off from rambling on. "It's okay, Kevin. Go find your sister and ask her to help you get dressed."

Kevin grinned happily and took off without another word. Ginny turned to Draco. "Need to see Harry?"

"Yes, is he available?"

"Contrary to what Kevin may have told you, he is," Ginny said, stepping back so Draco could enter. She had just closed the door when shouting came from upstairs. She sighed heavily and said to Draco, "Harry's in his office, just back there." She pointed to the back and down the hall. "Just go on back. I have to go pull those two apart before a war breaks out."

Draco watched Ginny race away and up the stairs before heading back to Harry's office. The office door was open and Draco walked in, clearing his throat as he did.

"Just a minute, sweetie, I want to finish this quickly so I can take it with me," Harry announced without looking up.

"Take all the time you need," Draco replied humorously but added, "Just, don't ever call me 'sweetie' again."

Harry's head snapped up and he blushed slightly with embarrassment. "Sorry. I thought you were Ginny."

"That much was obvious," Draco said dryly.

Harry got over his embarrassment quickly and said, "I'm glad you got here so fast, I wanted-" Harry stopped and looked at Draco quizzically. "Just how did you get my message so quickly? I only just sent my owl out a-" This time Harry was interrupted by a large white owl flying into the room and landing on Draco's shoulder. "little while ago," Harry finished lamely.

Harry's bird was picking at Draco's ear with his beak so Draco reached up and took the rolled up parchment from the bird's leg. Hedwig immediately flew off, leaving the same way she had come. Draco opened the note and scanned it. Harry had requested that he come to see him as soon as it was convenient for Draco to do so. Draco came over to where Harry was sitting and sat down across from him. He crumpled the note up and tossed it in the waste bucket beside the desk.

"Why did you need to see me?" he asked.

"Why are you here?" Harry countered.

"To ask your opinion on something I received," Draco answered.

"The very same reason I sent out my request for you to meet with me," Harry noted musingly. He said, "Did you happen to get a letter from someone signing off as Justice?"

Draco lifted an eyebrow. "I did."

"So did Hermione, as well as myself," Harry replied. "May I read the one you got?"

Draco reached into his pocket and handed the letter over. Harry started to read it, and then laughed and said, "Er, I don't think this is from Justice." He handed the letter back.

Draco frowned as he took the letter. He looked down at it and said, "Oh, I must have grabbed Aria's letter along with the other one."

He produced the correct letter and handed it over. Harry read it quickly and handed it back. He pulled out two sheets of parchment from under some papers on his desk and handed them over to Draco. "These are the letters Hermione and I received."

Draco took them and read the one addressed to Harry first.

_I am a friend but if you interfere with what I must do, I will not hesitate to hurt you. I have lived in the shadows long enough; it is time for me to take my rightful place and I will not allow you or anyone else to prevent my destiny from unfolding, as it should. I do not want to hurt you or your family, but there are times when small sacrifices must be made, and if I must, I will do what has to be done. Please do not disregard this warning. Take heed and STAY OUT OF MY WAY!_

_Justice _

Draco did not comment, but went on to read Hermione's letter.

_I am blood of your blood, flesh of your flesh, bone of your bone, and I will be who I was meant to be. No one will stop me and you will be nothing but a memory. I want what was mine, what you have kept me from having all these years, and I will not allow you to keep me from it any longer. I will have my destiny, my life, and my future._

_Justice _

Draco slowly refolded the letters and handed them back to Harry. After a few minutes he said, "I think that whoever took Abigail is the same man who is now calling himself Justice."

"I agree," Harry said.

"I also think the man's completely insane."

"I couldn't agree more."

"Glad we see eye to eye," Draco replied wryly. "Now what?"

Harry shrugged, "I have no idea. I've asked Hermione to compile a list of anyone she thinks may want revenge on her." Harry spread his hands and said, "Though to be honest, I don't think Hermione's ever intentionally hurt anyone. I know she can be annoying and sometimes irksome, but I can't see how that would make someone hate her as much as this person seems to hate her. So even if she's able to come up with a few names, I don't think it will help us much."

Draco nodded, "I don't think it will either. However, at least we can rule those people out."

"Yes," Harry nodded. He thought a minute and then said, "I think you should make the same list." He held up a hand so that Draco would not protest just yet. "After reading all three letters I don't think the person is an enemy of yours, but somehow the three of us are linked to this and I want all possibilities accounted for. I have already made a list of people that might say they are a friend, but who I, personally, have suspicions about. I have also compiled a list of all remaining Death Eaters that were never accounted for after the war."

"They all hate me," Draco felt the need to point out.

Harry did not argue, saying, "It's the reason I made the list. As I said, it appears that whoever this person is, he's out to get Hermione, but I want everything covered. This is also the reason I want a list from you too. After I have all three lists, I'll have Neville check them out. The Death Eaters will be the hardest to check on. Some are presumed dead, others missing, and still others suspected of being amongst Voldemort's circle but could never be confirmed."

"Can I see the list?" Draco asked. Harry handed it over and Draco read the names. Harry had put the names in two different categories; the first were the missing and/or presumed dead and the second list was of those only suspected of being a Death Eater. Draco recognized most of the names in both lists, but he could not have told Harry anything about any of those listed.

He handed the list back and said, "You might want to add the Remoffe family to the list. I can't say if they were Death Eaters or not, but I know for a fact that while Voldemort was alive they supported him."

Harry added them and asked, "Anyone else that I might have missed?"

Draco shook his head, "Not that I can think of at the moment."

The two men fell into a comfortable silence, Draco speculating on who he should put on his list. His enemies were many. There were so many people he had alienated that he was sure that his list would be the largest of the three. Draco did not even want to think about how many people he would have to consider. He would have to though, and knowing that, he decided that he would do so when he was home where he could be alone. He thought back over the years and recalled each and every person who might hate him.

He glanced up to see Harry looking at him in a peculiar way. He asked, "Is something wrong?"

"No," Harry said slowly. A few seconds ticked by and he said, "Nothing is wrong exactly, but I would like to discuss something with you."

"And that would be?"

"I've thought about not interfering," Harry said, calculating each word he said, "but I just can't sit back and not do or, rather, say, anything. I think I should tell you-"

"I already know what you're going to say," Draco interrupted.

"You do?" Harry said, surprised.

"Yes I do," Draco said. "You want to tell me that Abigail's my daughter and-"

"_WHAT!_" Harry's shouted exclamation stopped Draco short.

Draco looked shocked. "You didn't know?"

Harry shook his head and ran a hand through his already messy hair. "I've always suspected, but Hermione would never tell me who Abby's father was. Honestly, I never pushed the matter. I figured she would tell me when she was ready." Harry pushed his fingers through his hair again. "She told you, then?"

Draco slowly shook his head. "No, but I know Abigail's mine."

Harry nodded, understanding. "Like I said, I always suspected, but when I saw you and Abby in the same room, I knew. She looks a lot like you."

Draco sat back and said, "Really? You think she looks like me?"

Harry chuckled, "Yeah, I do." He asked, "Are you going to tell Hermione that you know?"

"No," Draco shook his head and then explained, "I want Hermione to tell me, when she's ready." He thought about how much of their past to tell Harry and then said, "I'm not sure what Hermione has told you about us-"

"Nothing." When Draco looked surprised Harry said, "I think Hermione was afraid to tell me that she was seeing you. I overheard her talking to Ginny and that was how I knew, but I never let on that I knew. I was hoping that she would eventually come and tell me, but she never did. I know something happened, but I don't know what."

Draco looked at Harry for a long time before saying, "I broke her heart and didn't realize my mistake until it was too late."

Sensing that Draco was uncomfortable confiding in him, Harry said, "You don't have to tell me if you don't want to. All I have to say is, don't hurt her again. I told you a few weeks ago that I hoped you and I could be friends and I meant it, but if you cause Hermione pain in anyway, you and I will have to have it out."

Draco let a ghost of a smile lift his lips, "This friendship thing is new to me, but I think what you mean is that if I hurt Hermione, you're going to beat me up, right?"

Harry nodded, "Yep, that's what I mean."

"If I hurt Hermione _I will _let you beat me up," Draco assured him.

"Wow," Harry said, looking taken aback. "You really do love her, don't you?"

For the first time ever, Draco admitted it aloud, "I do, very much."

Harry suddenly burst out laughing. Draco looked at him, but held his tongue. Finally Harry said, "I'm sorry, but it still seems so odd to be sitting here having this conversation with you."

Draco also found the silly side of the entire situation and said as much, "I know what you mean."

They chuckled for a moment more before Draco said seriously, "I would appreciate if you did not mention this to Hermione. I don't just mean how I feel, but also that I know about Abigail. I don't want to rush things between us."

"You have my word," Harry assured him. "Did you hurt her that badly?"

Draco thought about not answering, but said, "I think I did."

Harry looked at Draco for a full minute and then said, "All I have to say is, good luck."

"Why?"

"Hermione is one stubborn person and you're going to need all the luck you can get," Harry replied, amused once more.

Draco glared and said, "Thanks."

"You're welcome."


	17. Chapter 17

-1

**Chapter Seventeen**

**Home Invasion**

Draco spent the rest of the day and most of the evening contacting everyone and anyone he could think of that might be able to assist in tracking Justice down. At the end of the night, he was still no closer to finding the man who was interfering in their lives. He was still at the start line without a signal to set him off. Of course, Draco had not expected instant results, but he would have liked it if even one person could have given him the smallest clue as to Justice's identity. Instead, the only thing he did have was a false name and his own conclusions.

The one thing, other than the fact that the name was a fake, which Draco was positive about, was that Justice was completely mental. In fact, Draco had a feeling that the man was clinically insane, though that was going to be hard to prove unless they caught the person, but Draco was rarely wrong when it came to things such as this. If he was wrong, he would eat his wand. Insane, crazy, delusional, or whatever, Draco did not care; he was not going to rest until he caught the man behind Abby's kidnapping.

Draco wondered what sort of man Justice was. Insane for sure, but was he the smart kind or the crazy kind? The latter type would be sure to mess up somewhere, at some time, and he would be easily captured. It was just a matter of waiting and watching. The smart type was far more dangerous, as far as Draco was concerned. The worse part was that Draco's sinking gut was telling him that Justice was smart. It did not matter because Draco would just have to be smarter, or else the only way Justice would become something of the past would be if he screwed up and they caught him that way.

Draco decided he could do nothing more that night and headed for bed. His last thoughts were not on Justice, but on Hermione and Abby. He just might _pop_ over there tomorrow and see how things were going for them. He might even offer his assistance in the unpacking process, but what he really wanted to do was to see the two of them. Even so, he pictured Hermione's expression when he offered to help and fell asleep with a smile on his lips.

The next day Draco arrived at Hermione's so early that the sun had only just come up over the horizon. He knocked lightly on the bright red door and heard Wicker start barking, which caused him to grimace slightly. He heard Abby saying, "Be quiet Wicker. Just stop it right now." As always, the dog listened to his mistress and grew quiet.

Abby opened the door a moment later and beamed a grin at him. "Hello."

Draco took note that Wicker was straining to get away from her and said, "Does your pet want to attack me once again?"

Abby did not take offense but she did roll her eyes and say, "Wicker has never attacked you and if you would give him a little attention, he wouldn't always be so anxious to jump all over you."

When Draco continued to only stand there looking dubious, Abby sighed, took his hand in hers, and guided it to the top of Wicker's head. "Now, pet him and he'll calm right down."

Draco doubted it, but he tried it since he figured he could not avoid the dog forever, not if he wanted Abby and Hermione to be a part of his life. Draco stroked Wicker's head and to his amazement, the animal instantly sat back his hunches and made small noises of pleasure. Wicker angled his head so that he was pushing into Draco's out reached hand so Draco increased the pressure of his stroke. Draco could have sworn he heard Wicker sigh in contentment. After a minute the dog stood up, making Draco back up but all Wicker did was give Draco a look of pure affection and then walk away.

Abby chuckled and said, "See, I was right."

"I suppose," Draco agreed, smiling a little too.

"Are you here to see Mum?" Abby asked as she motioned him inside and closed the door.

"I'm here to see both of you," Draco told her.

"You are? You came to see me too?"

"Why do you sound so surprised?" Draco demanded.

"Because normally you try to get me to go away," Abby felt compelled to remind him.

Draco cleared his throat, started to say something smart and then changed his mind. Instead, he said, "You've grown on me."

She made a face. "Ew, it sounds like I'm some fungus or mold."

Draco laughed. "Not at all, you simply have a way of making people like you."

"I do?" she asked. Then she said, "I'll have to remember that."

"I bet you will," Draco murmured under his breath. "Where's your mother?"

"She's in the back room sorting through Nana and Papa's stuff," Abby informed him. She pointed the way. "It's back there and to the right. I'd take you but I was on my way to give Wicker his breakfast and then I have to unpack my things. Mum says if I have it done by noon, she'll take me to Diagon Alley for lunch."

Draco nodded and waited until Abby was out of sight before going down the dark, narrow hallway. He found the room. Inside Hermione was sitting atop a box with a photo album in her hands. She was slowly flipping through it. He could only see part of her face since her hair was hanging in front of it. He could see her lips and from that angle, he thought she might be smiling, though he was not sure.

He walked into the room, drawing her attention away from the picture album. She looked up and it was then that Draco saw the tears spilling over and running down her cheeks. Without a word, he sat down on the box beside her and gathered gently into his arms. She did not resist as he thought she might. Instead, she buried her face into his chest and cried harder. He could hear the grief in those sobs and felt a surge of compassion pass through him. He knew what it was like to lose a parent and Hermione had lost both of hers.

After a few minutes, Hermione pulled back from him and he let her. She sat forward so that all he could see was her profile. She wiped the tears from her face with the balls of her hands, sniffed a few times and seemed to be fighting for control. Draco remained silent, not wanting to make her feel awkward or worse than she already did.

She asked, "What are you doing here, Draco?"

He said, "I came to offer my services."

"What, as a snot rag?" Hermione asked sarcastically. "Never mind. I'm sorry for crying all over you."

"I came over to see you and Abby and to see if you could use some help settling in," Draco explained. He looked down at his shirt and realized he was soaked with her tears. "Don't worry about the shirt; I'm sure it will dry in no time."

"I think you came for more than what you're implying, but don't worry about it," she said knowingly. "I won't argue the matter with you since I could use a little help."

"With what?" Draco asked, looking around the cluttered room.

"All this," Hermione said, waving an arm to indicate the boxes piled up all over the room.

"Why not just cast a spell and be done with it?" Draco wondered aloud.

Hermione was shaking her head before he done asking the question. "Two reasons," she elucidated. "The first is because all these are, or were, my parents' things and I have to go through it, and the second reason is because I don't think your wand should be the answer to everything. It's something I'm trying to instill in Abby."

"I happen to agree, most of the time," Draco told her, which made her look at him over her shoulder skeptically.

"You do?"

He nodded. "I do. There are times when doing something the Muggle way is refreshing and therapeutic."

Her eyes narrowed. "Are you playing with me?"

"No," Draco said sincerely. "Just a few weeks ago, I was chopping firewood with an axe. If you doubt me, ask Abby. She came along as I was cutting and couldn't resist telling me how I was doing it all wrong."

Hermione actually chuckled. "Sounds like Abby."

She fell silent for a minute. When she spoke, it was of her parents. "When Dad died I cried until I was sure I was going to die from it. When Mum died, I didn't have the energy or the time to grieve. I didn't even have enough left in me to come back here and sort through all their things. It's a lot harder than I thought it would be."

"Dad's death was expected," Hermione continued. "He had cancer and the doctors, even a few healers, did everything they could, but in the end it took him despite our efforts. Still, I didn't let him go until he was taken from me and that's why I cried so hard for so long."

Draco was about to ask her about her mother, but he didn't have to; she was telling him. "Mum's death, only a few months after Dad's, was just too much for me to handle. So I stayed away and kept the heartache at bay by keeping myself busy."

"How did your mother die?"

"Accident," Hermione replied shortly. Draco heard the hitch in her voice and wanted to hold her again, but he knew she would resist this time so he remained as he was. She said, "I was home one Tuesday after noon and I got a call from some official over here telling me that there had been a terrible accident and that Mum hadn't made it. The crazy thing was this guy actually thought that by telling me she had died instantly, without feeling any pain, was a comfort to me. It wasn't, and I wanted to scream at the man that it wasn't but all I was able to do was thank him and hang up. I was so numb that I never cried. I came here, buried my mother, returned home, and went on with my life. To be honest, I don't think it fully sank in that they were both gone until I came back here and saw all their things with a coat of dust."

"It couldn't have been easy to lose them both in such a short time," Draco sympathized.

"I don't think I could let it all in, not at that time in my life," Hermione said softly. "It's being back here that allowed it to finally reach out and grab me."

Draco understood but did not say as much. She looked back at him and asked, "Did you ever get past your fathers death?"

"His murder," Draco responded out of habit. He said, "Sorry, it's a knee-jerk response. As to your question, I don't think anyone ever gets over a loved one's death, no matter how they died."

"You haven't gotten past it?"

He shook his head and considered what he was about to tell her. As he thought, something significant came to mind. He had never had a conversation of meaning with Hermione before today. They had been together for nearly a year and yet, they had never openly discussed anything that meant something to either of them. Mentally shaking his thoughts away he said, "Right after Voldemort tortured my father nearly to death, I was left alone with him. He asked me, made me promise actually, to keep a woman safe. Only he died before he could tell me who she was. I think that's part of the reason I've had a hard time coming to terms with his death. I wasn't able to keep a promise and that bothers me."

"You knew nothing that might have led you to her?" Hermione asked.

"No," Draco said with a small shake of his head. "I knew only that Voldemort had killed my father because he had kept the woman safe from the Dark Lord, so I can assume that she was of some importance to him, but that's all I knew then and still know today."

Hermione studied Draco for a moment before saying, "Your father left you in an impossible predicament. You had nothing to go on so how could you possibly keep your word?"

"Maybe so," Draco conceded, "but it doesn't change how I feel. Most of the time I don't think about it, but every once in a while, the memory of that night sneaks up on me and I feel as if I've failed him."

Hermione opened her mouth to say something. Draco thought she might have been about to offer words of comfort, but he would never know because just then they heard Abby scream from above. They both reacted at the same time, but Draco was faster. He was out in the hall and running up the stairs so fast he was almost a blur. Hermione was not far behind. He did not have to inquire as to where Abby's room was because just as he reached the top of the stairs, she came running out of a room at he end of the hall. She was looking over her shoulder so did not see Draco, resulting in a collision.

He caught her by the arm before she managed to fall back on her butt from the impact. "Whoa there, what's going on?"

Abby was trembling and gasping for breath and for a minute, Draco was afraid she would be unable to tell them anything because she was so wound up in fear. He pushed her back a little so he could look down at her face, but it was not fear or panic he saw in her grey-blue eyes; it was rage. A little surprised he said, "Abby, tell me what happened?"

"That…that…" Abby stomped her foot in frustration. She took a deep breath and blurted, "That completely stupid and ignorant man thought he could kidnap me again."

Abby had barely gotten the last word out before Draco was pushing her aside, into Hermione's waiting arms and running to the room. He had not expected to find Justice still lurking there, and he was right, but that did not make the anger and fear rushing through his veins cease. Instead, looking into the room only made his racing heart speed up even faster as he thought about what he was going to do Justice if - no - when he caught him.

Draco, frustrated from the events, slammed his fist into the wall beside him. Wicker, whom Draco had not noticed, was sitting just inside the room and when Draco's fist connected with the wall, the animal yelped in surprise. He stared into Wicker's cool, calming blue eyes as he tried to regain some control over his emotions. It was no use, though, which is why he rounded toward Hermione and shouted, "Why the hell aren't there any protection spells in place? Abby could've been taken again. Are you taking this guy seriously or not?"

Hermione's eyes flashed before darkening with anger. "I happen to have placed protections spells all around this house. It was the first thing I did when we arrived. Somehow, he got past the spells. Do you honestly believe that I would leave my daughter unprotected? Because if you do, you don't know me at all."

Draco was about to apologize for his outburst, but Hermione was not finished. "I even had Harry add a few spells to reinforce the protection. Don't you dare stand there and act as if I've done something wrong. It's obvious that we underestimated the man's power and I'm just as upset and pissed off as you are."

Draco ran a hand through his hair. He thought, briefly, about asking her if she was through but trashed the idea. He did not want to get into an argument right now. Instead, he said, "I'm sorry. I overreacted."

"Just a little," Hermione retorted, though her tone was not as harsh as it had been. She added, almost as an after thought, "Apology accepted."

"How did he get past the protections spells?" Draco said, his voice rising with each word.

"Stop yelling!" Hermione shouted right back. Less loudly, she said, "How the hell should I know? Somehow he knew what spells we'd cast and got by them."

"Stop stating the obvious," Draco said irritably.

"Stop being nasty," Hermione countered, just as annoyed.

Abby finally gained their attention by doing some yelling of her own. "Mum!"

Hermione looked down and said, "What?"

"That man said nothing you or your friends did could keep him away from me and his destiny, "Abby told them both, now that she had their full attention.

"What, exactly, happened, Abigail?" Draco asked, keeping his voice low.

Instead of answering him, she frowned and asked, "Could you please stop calling me that? I like to be called Abby."

Gently, but firmly Draco said, "Too damn bad. I happen to like your name and I plan on using it."

Abby sighed dramatically. "I knew you were going to say something like that."

"Abby," Hermione said, losing patience. "What happened?"

"Oh," Abby said and started telling them what had happened.

_Abby pulled the stuffed bear from the box and tossed it onto her unmade bed. She would have to remember to tell her mum that she was too old for such silly things. Maybe they could give it to Uncle Harry's daughter Jamie she was only seven. Abby poked her head back in the box and stretched her arm out in order to reach the bottom. She snagged the last thing in the box, a small, ragged looking doll. Abby considered the doll for a moment. She was too old for the doll, just as she was the stuffed bear, but the doll was special to her. Nana had given it to her on her second birthday. Abby loved the thing and though she may never play with it again, she was not about to give the doll away._

_Abby gently placed the doll on one of the shelves hanging on the wall. She was still looking at the ratty toy when Wicker woofed softly. Abby recognized the sound as Wicker's warning to back off, but since there was no one else in the room, she assumed he was warning a squirrel or some other small animal. She said, without looking, "Knock it off, Wicker. That tree doesn't belong to you. Whatever's out there has every right to be."_

_Wicker growled low in his throat, and Abby turned to tell him once again, to stop. The words never left her lips. Standing by the window was a familiar hooded figure. Abby gasped and took an involuntary step backwards. Spooky was in her room, but how had he gotten there? Abby was strangely unafraid and so she asked, "How did you get in here?"_

_In the same raspy whisper she remembered, he said, "I have my ways. Nothing can keep me from what is mine, and no one will stop me from taking you and fulfilling my destiny."_

"_Huh," Abby huffed, more confused than before, but playing as if she got what the crazy man was talking about. "I see. So what is your destiny? If you don't mind me asking, that is."_

_He must have because he did not answer her query. He said, "I've come to take you back where you belong."_

"_That's funny," Abby said, "I thought I was where I belonged."_

"_You belong to me," he snarled._

_Abby was done playing around, so she said, "You better run away now or I'll scream and my mum and her friend will get you."_

"_Go ahead and scream, little girl." It sounded like he was laughing, but all Abby heard was an odd hissing sound. "By the time that bitch and the other one come to your rescue, it will be too late."_

_Abby thought about it for a second and came to the same conclusion. Hermione and Draco were downstairs and even if Abby did scream and shout, she was positive that neither of them would reach her in time. She considered her options for only a second more before saying, "Wicker, do you mind doing your thing?"_

_Wicker, having heard the command only once before, still did not hesitate to spring into action. He pounced, much the same way a tiger might have, and landed on Spooky's chest, knocking the man backwards. Abby did not stay to find out what would happen next; she screamed with every ounce of energy she could muster and raced from the room. _

"That's when I knocked into you," she finished, looking from Hermione to Draco. "I did consider staying and fighting him off like last time, but I didn't want all the bruises to come back so I decided it was better to run and with Wicker there to help this time, it was the safer choice."

Draco waited a beat to make sure Abby was through. When she said nothing else, he looked over her head to Hermione, "I don't think you can stay here and remain safe. I think it's better if you stayed somewhere else, at least until we can nail this man."

To his surprise, Hermione nodded in agreement. "I think you're right. I'll get a hold of Harry and ask him if Abby and I can stay with him and Ginny."

Draco cleared his throat once before suggesting, "You can both stay with me." He held up a hand to tell her to allow him to finish. "If you stay at Harry and Ginny's, it will be cramped. I have plenty of room and you won't have to constantly be bumping into another person."

Hermione took her time replying and he was sure she was going to tell him that she would rather stay with the Potters. She surprised him again. "Thank you. We'll stay with you for now."

He was stunned he blurted, "That's all."

She did not need to ask him what he meant and said, "That's all, unless you want me to argue?"

Draco shook his head. "No, that's not what I want." He did not want to give her a chance to change her mind so he said, "Abby go gather some things and we'll get going."

Two hours later, Draco demanded, "How in the hell is all this necessary?" He indicated the seven trunks, five suitcases, four travel bags, and Wicker.

"Don't argue over what us girls think is important to have," Hermione warned.

Draco could tell by Hermione and Abby's expressions that they were not going to budge on how much they were taking with them. He sighed and conjured the entire luggage as well as Wicker to his place. After he asked, almost dreading the answer, "Are we set to go now?"

Hermione gave the living room one last glance and nodded, "Yes, I think so."

"Great," Draco replied relieved. "I think we should swing by Harry's and inform him of this latest development."

"I was thinking the same thing," Hermione said with a small grin. She produced her wand from inside her cloak, muttered something and said, "There, he knows we're on our way."

"How will we be arriving?" Draco asked, thinking about Abby.

"Floo-powder," Hermione said. "There's a can of it above the fireplace on the mantle."

Draco retrieved the can and held it out to Hermione. "I think you should go first, followed by Abby, and I'll come last."

Hermione grabbed a handful of the powder and tossed into the fireplace. She stepped into the six-foot high green flames and said clearly, "The Potters."

When she was gone, Draco held the can out to Abby. "You next."

She did the same as her mother. When they were both gone, Draco said to the empty room, "I'll find you and I'll kill you, whoever you are, Justice. You don't mess with what's mine."


	18. Chapter 18

-1

**Confessions of the Heart**

Aria's birthday was the next day and Draco had still not gotten her anything. It was not as if he did not know what to get her, but only that he had not been able to make it the market. He had not known that by bringing Hermione and Abby to his home, his life would become twisted around so much that there would be times when he was not sure who he was. Abby was a constant whirlwind of activity and Draco had a sneaking suspicion that she was the same way even when sleeping. Draco was only thankful that his home provided enough room for Abby to be as active as she wanted and not disturb anyone else, at least not often.

Thinking of Aria reminded him that he wanted to take Abby along to the party. He would have to remember to mention it to Hermione. As for Aria's present, he would take care of that later today. For now, he had to stop thinking and start working. He pulled a list of clients and the merchandise they wanted obtained toward him and started looking it over. He was only halfway through the list when his office door banged open. He looked up to see Abby, Wicker at her heels as usual, strolling in as if she did not have a care in the world.

She came over to where he was sitting behind his desk and sat down across from him. He eyed her, wondering if he should reprimand her for barging in. He decided on saying, "Have you heard of knocking?"

"Sure, I have," Abby said snappily. "Would you like me to go back and knock?"

Her sarcastic reply made him sit back and look at her thoughtfully. Abby was many things, but rude was not one of them. He asked, "Is something bothering you?"

"No," she said curtly.

"Okay," Draco drawled, speculating on what he should say next. Finally, he decided to say nothing and to let her lead the conversation in whatever direction she wanted to take it. He knew that at some point she was likely to open up if he did not push. The decision made, he bent his head over his work and continued where he had left off.

It was not long before Abby interrupted him by asking, "What are you doing?"

"Working," Draco replied without looking up.

"What is it though?" she asked. "I mean, what is it, exactly, that you do?"

"I find and acquire the things people want," he explained.

"What does that mean?" she wanted to know, her curiosity piqued.

"It means that people hire me to find and either buy or negotiate for whatever it is they believe that have to have," Draco informed her, finally looking up from his list of clients.

"Why don't they just buy it for themselves?" she asked mystified. "Wouldn't that be easier than paying someone to do it for them? It'd be cheaper too. Oh, and what sort of things do these people usually want you to get for them?"

"They hire me because most of the time the item they want is hard to obtain or so rare they can't find it," Draco said. "It would be cheaper if they did the work themselves, but a lot of times these people either don't want to take that time and since they have money, they'd rather have someone else do it for them. Others just don't have the time to look for it themselves."

"What do they usually want?" she repeated her last question.

"Sometimes it's a rare piece of art, a painting, a statue or something similar," Draco said. "Those kinds of things are usually for my Muggle clientele, though occasionally I do get a witch or wizard in here wanting a piece of art."

"What do the witches and wizards usually want?" she asked, completely interested now.

"Sometimes they want a rare potion, sometimes a rare magical artifact and sometimes it's nothing more than a book, but one that is old and worth a lot," Draco said, enjoying that she was interested in what he did.

"Are any of the things they want dangerous or illegal?" Abby asked inquisitively.

"I've had a few people come in wanting one or both sort of things, but I don't deal with either kind, so I always turn them away," Draco divulged.

"Good," she said with a firm nod. She then changed the subject by asking, "Are you rich?"

Draco was not surprised by her forthright question, but he did not answer her directly. Instead, he advised, "You really shouldn't ask a person something like that, it's rude."

She narrowed her eyes in his direction, "Are you trying to tell me I'm rude?"

"Not at all," Draco said his tongue in his cheek. "I'm only saying that some people might take offense to such a question."

"I know that," she let him know with a cheeky grin. "But I knew I could ask you. So, are you wealthy? Actually, I already know the answer to that."

"How could you possibly know that?" Draco asked, interested in hearing her reply.

"I can read," she reminded him. "I read a book about you. Well, it wasn't about _you_, but about the history of some of the oldest bloodlines in the magical community. The Malfoy family was one of them. The book also mentioned that the Malfoy's were one of the wealthiest families."

"Really?" Draco said, not sure, if he should be flattered or impressed. "When did you read that, er,_masterpiece_?"

"About two years ago," she said.

"And you remember it?" Draco asked, definitely impressed now.

"Yeah." Abby nodded. "Uncle Harry says I take everything in like a sponge, but refuse to let it any of it leak back out."

Draco agreed, but did not say so; instead, he decided to tell her, "I'm not as wealthy as many people, but I don't need to worry either. Does that answer your question?"

"Yeah," Abby said. Her mood was off and Draco wondered again, what was bothering her. He did not have to wonder for long. She said, "Can I ask you something?"

From the way she had blurted out the question, he sensed that whatever it was she wanted to ask was the reason for coming and for her previous bad mood. He said, "Sure, you can ask me just about anything, but don't expect an answer if I can't give one."

"Sounds like a deal," she breathed. She was silent for a moment before saying, "If you knew a secret that was something important, should you tell someone what you know?"

Draco leaned forward and placed his elbows on his desk as he considered what she had said. He was not sure how to answer so he asked, stalling, "If you keep this secret, would someone get hurt because you didn't tell anyone?"

Abby tilted her head in thought before answering, "No, not exactly."

"All right," Draco said slowly. "If you did tell, would someone be hurt?"

Again, Abby considered her answer. "Um, no."

"Can you tell me what sort of secret it is without revealing the actual secret?" Draco asked next.

"Er, it's something…" She stopped and shook her head. "I'm not sure how to say it."

"Think about it for a minute," Draco suggested.

She did and then said, "I know something that could make someone happy, but then it could also make someone sad, I think."

Since it was not as helpful as Draco had hoped, he said, "Okay, well, the best advice I can give you is this: if what you know is not going to cause someone to become injured or hurt in some horrible way, then keep it until there comes a time when _you _know it's time to tell. Does that make sense to you?"

Abby looked down at her hands and Draco could only assume she was thinking about what he had told her. When she looked back at him, he thought he saw a little sadness in her eyes but then she said, "Thank you."

"You're welcome," he replied though he had a feeling he had not helped her as much as she had wanted.

She stood and said, "I'm going to go and read before dinner. I'll see you then."

Draco nodded and watched her walk away. Something was definitely bothering her and he wished there was something more he could do, but without knowing what it was he could do nothing more. He was about to return to his work when there was a knock on the office door. Thinking it was Abby again, he called out, "Come in."

Hermione came into the room, gently closed the door and stood there, with her hands folded in front of her. Something in the way she was holding herself made Draco think she had overheard his conversation with Abby. He said, "Is there something you want?"

She came to sit in the spot Abby had vacated minutes ago before answering him. "I wanted to thank you."

Draco was surprised enough to blurt, "For what?"

"I've known for a couple of days now that something was on Abby's mind," she explained with a deep sigh. "I tried talking to her, but she wouldn't talk to me like she normally does."

"Oh," Draco said, not sure what else there was to say.

Hermione flopped back into the chair and said, "I'm sure your advice helped her, but until she comes to a decision it's going to be on her mind. There was a time when she would tell me anything, but I think, now that she's getting older, that time is coming to an end."

Hearing Hermione talk about her and Abby's relationship made a pang of unexpected jealously shooting through Draco. Without thinking about it he asked, "Is Abigail my daughter?"

She opened her mouth and then just as quickly closed it. Draco thought she was simply going to refuse to answer him this time. She heaved another huge sigh, leaned forward, and with an intense look in her eyes asked, "Why are you so persistent about this?"

The fact that she was not blowing him off like last time left Draco unable to answer right away. When he was able to find his voice, he said, honestly, "Because I believe she is my daughter, but I want to hear from you."

An odd light came into Hermione's eyes when she asked, "Why do you think Abby's your daughter?"

"A feeling I have, among other things," Draco replied, sitting back in the chair, watching Hermione. "Something you said also makes me think that I'm her father."

"What did I say?"

Draco could almost see the wheels turning in her head as she tried to recall their last conversation on the subject. He decided to enlighten her. "The last time I asked, you said that Abigail was _your_ daughter, but you didn't actually deny that I was her father. At the time I didn't think anything of it, but the more I thought about it, the more I wondered if that had been your way of avoiding a direct answer."

Hermione said nothing. She was quiet for so long that Draco would have thought she had fallen asleep, except he was looking at her and knew she was still wide-awake. He also discovered that he was content to wait for her to talk. When at last she did begin to speak, her voice was soft and her eyes distant as if she was remembering something. "Ten years ago, no, it's almost eleven years now, isn't it?"

Draco was about to reply, but she stopped him. "I know when it was; I could never forget it, no matter how hard I tried, or how much I wanted to. Let me say what I have to say, Draco, without interruption."

When he nodded, she went on. "Almost eleven years ago, I came over to the manor, your old home, expecting that you and I would be spending a romantic evening alone. Well, the alone part came true, but the romance was a façade."

"I was excited that evening," she continued. "I was also a little nervous. I wanted things to work for us, but I was afraid of rushing things. I was terrified that you were playing a game with me, even though I had seen for myself the changes in you over the last years of the war. I was still afraid that I was fooling myself into seeing something that wasn't really there."

She laughed ruefully. "By the end of the evening you had made my fears a reality. Of course, even then, I was trying to talk to you, trying to make you tell me why you were suddenly acting like the boy, I had disliked, but you wouldn't listen. You wouldn't tell me what I had done and you refused to hear anything I had to say. When I left, I was numb, heartbroken and pissed off."

She shook her head at the memory. "I didn't want to return to my empty loft. Going there, being alone, would have only intensified what I was already feeling, so I headed to the nearest tavern. I ordered their strongest drink and told the bartender to keep them coming." She laughed again, this time sadly. "I had never thought I would find myself inside a bar, ordering hard liquor and getting smashing drunk, but that's what I did that night."

"I was sitting there, drinking down one shot glass after another, while my heart continued to shatter into a million tiny shards." Hermione closed her eyes for a moment and when she opened them, Draco could see the pain she had felt reflected in their amber depths. "The more I drank, the easier it was to forget, and the more I was able to forget, the less the pain tormented me."

He wanted to say something, anything but was afraid that she would stop talking, and he wanted to hear everything.

"The next morning, I woke up in a strange bed with a naked man I didn't know lying next to me. I was horrified because not only could I not recall the night before, but I had slept with a perfect stranger." Hermione looked out the office window and then back at Draco. "I can't tell you how much of an idiot I felt like after that morning because it's more than I can put into words, but I snuck from that man's house and never even learned his name."

Draco felt the full impact of what she was saying hit him and felt all the air in his chest constrict tightly. When he was able to breathe a little, he whispered, "Abigail's not mine!"

Hermione ignored his whispered comment and went on. "It was two days later that I knew I had to leave. I could not stay here and have a baby, not when I knew so many people who would have questions that I was unwilling to answer. But, even then, I was reluctant to leave the only home I knew. It was when I saw you and you ignored me so completely that I knew I couldn't remain where I was."

Draco did interrupt at that point. "I never saw you. What are you talking about?"

"I was in Diagon Alley, looking for Ginny. I needed someone to talk to and Harry had told me she had gone there to visit her brothers at their joke shop," Hermione informed him. "You were standing outside of Flourish and Blotts. I walked right by you, praying you would stop me, that you had come to realize you had been wrong about me. You didn't though, and it nearly tore me in two once again."

"I didn't see you," Draco insisted again. "If I had, I would have stopped you because you're right; I had come to my senses by then. I remember the day you're talking about. I was in Diagon Alley because I had to pick something up for my mother. I was hoping to see Harry or someone who might know where you were since I had stopped by your loft a few times and you were never home."

"No," Hermione smiled sadly, "I had run to my parents the morning I woke up next to that man." She waved a hand eloquently. "It no longer matters. I didn't go to see Ginny after that. I returned to my parents' home and started planning my departure. A week later, I was gone. I traveled for a few months, but when I landed in Nowhere, Wisconsin I stayed. Not so much because I liked the place, though I did, but because if I continued to move about, I was going to be giving birth in some strange hotel instead of where I should be."

Draco, unable to get past the part where Hermione had slept with someone else said, "So you don't actually know who Abby's father is, do you?"

She did not answer him. She smiled a little though as she continued. "I settled into Nowhere, got a job working as the local mogul's personal assistant and had Abby a couple of months later."

"Do you know who Abby's father is?" Draco persisted, unwilling to allow her to ignore the question.

"I know," she said simply.

"Who is he?" Draco demanded.

Once again, Hermione avoided answering. "When Abby was born, I considered telling her father, but my fears over the unknown stopped me. What if, I told him and he tried to take her away? What if he didn't want her at all? What if he thought I was trying to hook him by telling him a lie? There were a lot of 'what ifs' and I couldn't be sure of what the answers to any of them would be so I decided against telling him."

"So there's a man out there, somewhere, that has no idea that he has a daughter?" Draco asked incredulously.

"There is," Hermione agreed, but did not elaborate.

"Are you ever going to track him down and tell him?" Draco asked, still amazed. "No, that's not the real question. The real one is; are you ever going to tell Abby that she's a result of a one night stand?"

Hermione shook her head and replied, "Of course not."

"I suppose that's for the best," Draco conceded angrily. "What about the man; are you ever going to look for him and tell him?"

"No."

"Don't you think that they both have the right to know?" Draco challenged.

"I do," Hermione replied quietly.

"Then why the hell are you keeping it to yourself?" Draco snapped.

"Let me ask you something, Draco," Hermione began. "If you'd had a one night stand and nine months later the woman came to you and told you that the result of that night was a baby, what would you have done?"

"Confirmed the child was mine and then be responsible like any man should be," Draco retorted without hesitation. "I would never shirk my duty and responsibilities."

"Is that what a child would be to you?" Hermione said softly. "A duty and a responsibility?"

"Of course not," Draco growled, clearly annoyed with her line of questioning. "I would want to be the child's father in every sense of the word."

Before she could continue asking him anything more, he said, "Stop trying to avoid the issue here, Hermione. I don't think you could live with yourself if you didn't know the name of Abigail's father, so who is he?"

"I never implied that I didn't know who her father was, Draco," Hermione replied, keeping her tone even, though there was a fire in her eyes. "I know exactly who he is. I've always known."

She stood up and went to the door. She placed a hand on the handle before looking over her shoulder and saying, "I made a lot of mistakes back then. I used to think that I had made the right one where Abby's father was concerned, but now I'm not so sure. I do know that if I knew then what I knew now, I would have stayed here and fought for what I wanted."

"Don't you dare leave yet," Draco snapped out the warning. "I want to know the name of Abby's father and I want to know what you should have fought for."

Hermione ignored the warning and opened the door. She said softly, looking over her shoulder once again, "I might tell you one day what I should have fought for, but not today. Abby's father," she paused and stepped out into the hallway, "is the very man who tore my heart and soul out."

She was gone before it registered that she had just admitted that he _was _Abby's father. Draco stood angrily, wanting to go after her, but a second later changed his mind. He was not through with Hermione, not by a long shot, but it could wait until Abby was not around to overhear them.

Draco sat back down, a grim expression on his face and tried to get back to work, something that was going to be nearly impossible to do.


	19. Chapter 19

-1

**The Heart Knows the Words Unspoken**

Draco waited until Abby was in bed for the night before approaching Hermione. He had already checked in on Abby to make sure she was sleeping and was now heading for the kitchen where he knew Hermione was cleaning up. He had given himself the entire day to calm down and think about everything Hermione had told him that afternoon. Even so, he could still feel his overwrought emotions churning in his stomach as he entered the kitchen. Anger, resentment, sorrow, and a touch of happiness warred with each other inside him, but it was the first two that were winning the battle.

He was angry because Hermione had kept Abby from him and he resented not having been a part of his daughter's life for her first nine years. Sorrow also filled him because he knew that Hermione was not the only one to blame for what had come to pass. He was also at fault and that angered him as well. The happiness came from finally knowing, for sure, that Abby was his daughter but it was being overshadowed by everything else.

When he entered the kitchen, Hermione was at the sink, rinsing and drying a stack of dishes. He knew that he would have to keep his distance or else suffer the consequences so he leaned up against a part of the counter that was furthest from Hermione. She glanced over at him as she stacked a plate on another one and then looked away again. She remained silent and that was fine with him, since he was not yet sure what he wanted to say. All he knew for sure was that by the end of tonight, he wanted the air cleared between them, but he also knew that it might not happen as much as he wanted it to.

At long last he broke the silence. "Did you ever, once, think about telling me?"

"All the time," she admitted softly. "There were times when all I could think about was coming back and confessing that we had a child, but then my own self-induced fears would slam into me and I couldn't bring myself to tell you."

"Why did you think I would have taken Abby from you?" He asked his tone low but hard.

"I had so many inane fears while I was pregnant, that there when times I thought I was going crazy," Hermione began. "There was a few times when I literally chased down a man because I though he was you only to find out it was a stranger. After Abby was born, I thought about telling you even more. When I looked into her tiny face, the love I felt was so overwhelming that I thought there wasn't a person alive who would be able to resist her."

"I would-"

She cut him off. "Let me finish, please." He indicated she should go on. "Most of the time, though, I wasn't thinking very straight. As I mentioned, my self-induced and mistaken fears kept me from ever coming to any real decision and before I knew it, a year had passed."

Draco thought he understood what she was going to say, so he said, "After so much time had passed, you couldn't think of how to tell me?"

She nodded. "By that time, I just thought it was better the way it was. I knew, somewhere deep in my heart, that what I was doing was so very wrong, but I couldn't bring myself to face you and see the same hatred and disdain I had once seen in your eyes."

"I never looked at you that way," Draco denied. "If that's what you saw, then it was for what I was doing to you, because even as I was trashing your heart, I was doing the same to mine."

Hermione looked away from him. Before she did, Draco was sure he had seen something flicker in her eyes, something close to how she had looked at him before he had thrown her out, something close to love. When she looked back at him, her expression was bland. She said, "I was wrong not to tell you, Draco. I know that, but I cannot change the past even if I had a time-turner."

Draco did not think it was wise to tell her that he would if he dared but since he did not want trouble he rejected the idea. He said, "I lost almost ten years with Abigail. How am I going to make that up to her? You could have, should have, told me. I would never have taken her from you. I would have-"

Hermione stopped him, "Don't. I don't want to hear it." She shook her head to emphasize her point. "I know I was wrong, I've said as much. There's nothing you can do or say that can possibly make me feel as horrible as I already do. Everyone, even you Draco, has something in their past that they regret and would give anything to change; this happens to be mine."

Draco could not argue the point since there was plenty he regretted and would have changed if he could. "I understand that, Hermione, but knowing that doesn't change how I feel right now. I've missed so much of Abigail's life and it's time that I can never get back. It angers me and to be honest, makes me just a little jealous of the time you've had with her. In fact, there isn't a word in the English language that can possibly describe how I feel at this moment."

"I can't give you those years, Draco," Hermione murmured, her voice shaky. "I can promise you that you will be a part of her life from here on out, but I cannot give you the time you lost. I also know and understand that there's nothing I can do to make this better or easier on you or Abby."

She looked so helpless that for a moment, Draco actually wanted to comfort her. He shoved the feeling aside and asked, "Where do we go from here, how do we get over the past and move on now?"

"We both know that the reason we fell apart is because you believed I was going to betray you in some way. Only you have the power to get past that. You toyed with my emotions because of what you believed about me. You assumed things and never once let me defend myself. Only you can own up to that and make it right within yourself."

"You're right," Draco agreed, taking Hermione aback a little. "I regretted my actions only a few hours after you were gone, but I wasted even more time trying to convince myself that there was no way I could have been that wrong about you. By the time I admitted that I was the fool, you were gone."

Hermione opened her mouth but this time he stopped her from speaking. "No, it's my turn." She nodded and indicated from him to continue. "I hired every detective, Muggle and magical, that I could find and every time, they all came back with the same results: you had seemingly vanished. I kept thinking that Harry would know where you were since you two are so close, but I could never bring myself to ask him. Most of my reasons for not going to Harry were stupid, but the main reason was because I didn't want to answer the hundreds of questions he would have had. I looked for a number of years before finally coming to the conclusion that unless you wanted to be found, I was never going to see you again."

"You did find me though," Hermione pointed out.

Draco shook his head, "No, I didn't. I was in Nowhere, Wisconsin because I was running from my own demons, basically the past. I…get down after the holidays and always feel as if I have to leave here to recharge myself. I wasn't there because I had a new lead on you. I was there for personal reasons. I might never have found you if Abigail hadn't crept into my life, lodged herself there, and refused to leave no matter how rude and nasty I was."

He smiled over the memory of his first few encounters with Abby. Hermione noticed and commented gently, "You love her, don't you?"

"Abigail?" When Hermione nodded her replied honestly, "Yes, though at first, I thought of her as nothing more then a nuisance. She has this charming, sometimes annoyingly charming, way of sneaking in and attaching herself to your heart."

Hermione smiled just a tiny bit. "She does have a way about her."

Thinking of Abby made Draco ask, "Do you plan on telling who I am?"

"I don't have to," Hermione said. "She already knows."

Draco frowned, "She told me she thought her father was dead when I asked who he was. Was she lying?"

"Oh, no, don't think that," Hermione quickly came to Abby's defense. "She knows because she's figured it out just as you did."

"How do you know that?" Draco asked curiously.

"It's the secret she mentioned to you earlier," Hermione explained, her voice rough with emotion. "As I was tucking her into bed, she said she didn't want me to be sad. I asked her want she meant and she said she was keeping me happy by not telling me. I don't think she meant to say anything, but she was half asleep and it sort of came out. Then she said something even stranger."

"What?"

"She said that her father was going to make it right," Hermione said, her voice a mirror of emotions. "She didn't say he was going to come back and make things right. Her exact words were, '_He's going to make it right, though, and then maybe I can tell you what I know and you won't be sad.'_ She knows, but she thinks that if she reveals that she knows, it will make me sad."

"That's pretty inconclusive," Draco thought to mention.

Hermione shrugged. "Not if you know Abby and you should by now. She's a smart girl and when you came back into my life, I knew it was only a matter of time before she figured it out. I was only hoping to tell her before she did, but I guess I was too late."

"I _am _going to make things right between us," Draco suddenly confessed.

Hermione smiled sadly. "You can't. I can't either."

"We can-"

Hermione shook her head, "No. I don't think there is a way either one of us can correct the wrongs we dealt each other. All we can do is express our heartfelt apologies and move on with our lives as best as we can."

"Sounds lame," Draco muttered.

"Yes, it does; doesn't it?" she agreed, the sad smile still in place. "But what else is there to do? I won't deny you access to Abby, because I wouldn't want to cause you or her any more pain, but I can't… I can't ever be with you again. Eleven years ago I poured my heart and soul into you and got burned. I won't let myself be put in that set of circumstances again, when there are no guarantees that it would be different this time."

She stepped away from the counter where she had put the last dish away and started to wipe the table with a dry cloth. Draco took one step closer; she stopped him from coming any further by holding out a hand, palm facing him. "The evening I came to meet with you and found you drunk, I was going to tell you the truth, but found you in no condition to hear what I had to say. That evening you were making very little sense, but after I returned home and replayed what you did say, there was one thing that kept coming back to me. You said a couple of times that you'd wanted to tell me something for a long time. You admitted that you had been wrong about me, but that wasn't all there was to your confession, and you wouldn't tell me the other part of it."

"I-"

"I realized, after a long sleepless night," Hermione continued, talking over Draco, "that the other part of your confession was to tell me how you felt. When I came to that realization I was…I had mixed feelings. One part of me was thrilled that I might have what I have always truly wanted, but the other part of me kept reliving that last night we'd had. It's that part of me that refuses to let me give us a second chance, because I don't ever want to feel like I did back then, and I won't put myself in a situation where that's likely, with you or anyone else. You can see Abby whenever you want, I've said as much, but I won't...can't give you my heart again."

Before Draco could form a reply, she tossed the dry cloth on the counter and walked out of the kitchen. Draco started to go after her, but stopped only after a couple of steps. They both needed some time. He needed to time to let everything that had talked of sink in. Although he had suspected Abby was his daughter, he had not thought about the full repercussions of having it become a fact. He needed to adjust to it all and he needed time to think about where he wanted things to go from here on.

As for Hermione, she needed time to see that he was not as cold and harsh as he had once been. Having her living under his roof would make that easy, and unless they caught Justice soon, which he doubted, that meant he had plenty of time to work with.

There was time; at least, Draco thought there was.

Harry's voice is what drew Draco from his office the following afternoon. He followed the sound into the living room where Hermione, Harry, Abby and another girl of about seven or eight were sitting around the fireplace.

Seeing him, Harry smiled and said, "Hello."

"Hi," Draco returned. "Is there a special significance to why you're here?"

He was not trying to be rude, but he wanted to know if Harry had heard anything new about Justice. As an answer Harry looked over at Abby and said, "Why don't you show Jaime your room?"

Abby stood up, but not before Draco saw her roll her eyes. She said to Jaime, "Come on, the adults think we don't know that they want us out of the room so that they can talk."

Jaime, who looked so much like her father, said, "Okay, but I don't think its fair."

"Neither do I," Abby replied, "but grown ups are funny about such things so let's just go."

Jaime and Abby left the room. Draco was about to ask Harry what he knew but Harry held up a hand. Draco watched in amusement as Harry got up from the sofa and actually went over to the living room entrance to make sure the girls were not hiding around the corner, eavesdropping. Satisfied that they had really gone to Abby's room, Harry returned and sat back down.

"Don't trust those two, I see," Draco commented wryly.

Harry said, "Not at all. I've caught both at one time or another sneaking around. Jaime's simply curious, but Abby knows more then she lets on and I don't want her to worry all the time about the kidnapper coming back for her a third time."

Draco said, slightly amused, "You know that there are other ways to listen than standing out in the hall?"

"Yeah," Harry nodded, recalling his fifth ear when the twins had listened in on conversations with Extendable Ears. "I'm just hoping those two haven't figured that out yet."

"Don't count on it," Draco said, openly smiling now. He changed the subject a second later. "Have you discovered something about Justice?"

"Er, yes and no," Harry hedged.

"What does that mean?" Hermione said losing what little patience she seemed to have left.

Harry looked at her in surprise but did not comment on her short fuse. Instead, he cleared his throat and started explaining. "Neville's fiancée, Isabelle, works in the filing room at the Ministry of Magic. She did a little checking on top secret files and came across one that was interesting."

Harry pulled a sheet of paper out of his pocket. "She wasn't able to actually take the file out since all files are magically protected from leaving the room unless a signed consent comes from the right people. Anyhow, she did give me the highlights of the file."

"And those are?" Draco asked.

Harry glanced down at the paper he was holding. "The file was marked, 'Top Secret & Confidential.' Below that was another title, 'Justice Project,' there was another name for the file, but Isabelle didn't bother worrying about it. Isabelle was also sure that it was nothing to do with the man we're looking for since that would be way too easy, but after reading the file, she decided that it might just be the something after all."

"Harry," Hermione said warningly, "stop hedging and tell us what was in the file."

Harry sighed and admitted, "There's not much information in the file, to be honest. Most of the documents are written in code."

"Then why did Isabelle even mention this to you?" Draco asked.

"Because there's a mention of a person named Granger," Harry said with a quick look at Hermione. She did not react, so he went on. "There's no first name, only the last name."

"Is anything else significant?" Draco wanted to know.

"Not really, at least nothing that we would be able to make sense out of unless we obtain more knowledge about the man we're looking for." Harry once again looked down at the paper in his hands. "There's a mention of a few other people but only by initials, if that is what the letters even represent."

"What are the initials mentioned?" Hermione wondered.

"There are an LM, an ET and a HP," Harry answered. "At first I have to admit that I thought the LM stood for your father, Draco, and the HP referred to me, but what stumped me was the ET. There's also a mention of an AD and an SS and I immediately thought of the two people we all know with those initials."

"Do you still think it's the people we all know that have those initials?" Draco questioned, thinking hard.

"No." Harry shook his head. "I know I was never involved in any sort of top secret project with the Ministry; trust me, I would remember. The AD and the SS couldn't be Dumbledore or Snape simply because at the time of this project, Dumbledore was dead and Snape was on the run."

"That doesn't discount my father though," Draco mentioned.

"No, but, I don't think he was working with the Ministry when he was at Voldemort's side during that time," Harry said slowly. "The only reason the names jumped out at me was because it was those people I knew the best that had those initials. But if you really think about it, there's more than one LM, ET, HP, SS and AD in this world."

"So none of this really helps us unless the file mentions what the project was," Hermione added. "Does it mention what the project is?"

Harry shook his head. "Not really. Most of it's written in some crazy code that Isabelle wasn't able to decipher, as of yet"

"Still," Draco mused, "it all seems a little too coincidental to be unconnected in some way."

"I thought so too which is why I wanted to come and mention it to you both," Harry agreed. "However, unless Isabelle can find us something more, that's all we have and it's not much."

"So Isabelle will continue to look?" Draco asked, thankful that Harry was connected in ways he was not.

"Yeah," Harry nodded. "She'll keep searching unless someone becomes suspicious."

Draco nodded once, still thinking hard. Finally he said, "When were the dates marked on the file?"

Harry consulted his notes and gave Draco the dates. "I suppose we can rule out my father too. The dates on that file are the same dates that my father was in Azkaban."

Harry frowned and then sighed. "You're right. I hadn't thought about that."

The three of them discussed a few minutes more, but since there was nothing to really go on, the conversation soon ended. Hermione got up. "Tell Isabelle and Neville that I appreciate the help." She bent over and kissed Harry on the cheek. "I'm thankful for your help too." She sat back down.

When she was done, Draco said, "I have people, rather shady people, looking into this also. I know these people aren't exactly law-abiding, but they're discreet and can find out things we wouldn't have access too."

Harry grinned, surprising Draco a little. "I was going to ask if you knew anyone like that, but I didn't want you believing that I still thought you were a bad boy."

Draco grinned too. "I may not be such an evil git any longer, but I still know people that aren't so pretty. Besides, as long as I stay on the right side of the law, I have nothing to worry about."

"Are you," Hermione murmured, "on the right side?"

Draco held up his forefinger and thumb so they were an inch apart and said, "Yep, by this much."

Harry chuckled causing Hermione to round on him. "What is it, exactly, that you find amusing about that answer?"

Harry looked at Hermione in surprise. "He's joking Hermione."

"I don't think it's funny to joke about something like that," she said stiffly.

Harry laughed, not fazed by her attitude. "Ease up, Hermione. I can't believe you're allowing this to rile you so easily."

"I am not riled," she snapped harshly.

Harry rolled his eyes and looked at Draco. "She's definitely riled."

Draco nodded. "She is."

"I wonder why though," Harry asked as if he were clueless.

Before Draco could answer, Hermione cried out, "Stop talking about me as if I'm not even here."

Harry smiled inanely. "I think she's mad at me."

"I think you're deliberately pushing her buttons," Draco commented dryly, though amusement sparkled in his eyes.

"And I think you're both rather childish," Hermione growled.

"Which is something you've been telling me since the day I met you, so it comes as no surprise," Harry said smartly.

With a groan of pure frustration, Hermione jumped up from the sofa and flounced from the room. Draco watched her go and then turned to Harry. "What was that all about? Why'd you piss her off?"

"She was looking so serious," Harry replied wickedly. "I couldn't resist. Plus she was looking none to pleased with you so I was helping."

"You didn't help me," Draco retorted, though without any heat. "Since she happens to be living, for the moment, under my roof, you only made it so I have to deal with the mood you just put her in."

"Didn't think of that," Harry admitted a little sheepishly.

Draco suddenly grinned. "No matter, usually if we argue, I get to kiss her."

Harry groaned. "Don't tell me things like that."

Feeling oddly relaxed Draco chuckled, "You wanted to be friends, so now you have to hear everything. Isn't that what friends do?"

"Yeah," Harry agreed slowly, "but that was before I learned you had the hots for my best friend."

Draco only laughed.

Abby was bored, something she was not used to feeling and had never had to think about before now. However, there was only so much reading a person could do before the very thought of picking up another book filled them with dread. There was also only so much time a person could spend playing with an animal, and though Abby loved her dog very much, she was not used to having only Wicker as a playmate. Abby had reached her limit in both areas. She had tried bugging her mother, but Hermione was not someone who could easily be irritated, so Abby had eventually given up. Draco had also been harder to get riled than she had believed. In fact, teasing him had become harder to do over the last few days.

She was used to having more freedom than what she was allowed at the moment. Abby flipped onto her back so she could stare up at the ceiling absently. Boredom was something that had never entered her young life until now. Back home she had been allowed to wander the hills and valleys if the desire had stricken her to do so. She had been allowed to visit her friends, those that lived close by anyhow, and she had never been denied those freedoms until now.

Abby knew where, or rather, who was to blame too: Spooky, or as the adults called him, Justice. If she were a little older, she would not be sitting here, letting the grown-ups of her world take charge. Instead, she would be out there searching for the man who was disrupting her life and making her crazy in the process. If the stupid man tried to take her again, she was going to…well she did not know what she was going to do but she would think of something if she ever saw Spooky again. She just might let Wicker take a few bites out of him for good measure too.

Thinking of Wicker, she glanced over at him. He was lying, curled up, at the top of her bed. He looked back at her, silently asking, with his clear blue and intelligent gaze, if she needed him for something. She sighed and shook her head, before letting it fall back to the bed. If she was completely honest with herself, then she would admit that it was not Spooky and his evil plots that really bothered her but something else. She was positive that she had discovered the name of her father. It was a small bit of information that she was holding tightly to, afraid to hope that it was true and scared to find out that she was wrong.

She had thought, many times over the last few days of coming right out and boldly asking, but she was slightly terrified that she had it all wrong. If she had it wrong, she was not sure what she would do, but she knew that her disappointment might reach levels she had never thought she could go to and she did not want to go there now. She had once believed her father was dead and that was another thing that kept her from asking. What if she was told that her father was in fact dead and was someone she had never even heard of?

She had never had something that she had not been able to work through, so this was new and it was driving her a little nutty. She could not take it to her mother because she was not going to make her cry again, and she did not want to cause her mother any unwarranted pain. Of course, having her mother keep the truth from her all this time was not exactly making Abby feel any better, but even so, Abby loved her mother and would never intentionally hurt her. She might get mad at Hermione at times, but that did not change the fact that she had always been there for Abby.

She had asked Draco once and he had said he did not know who her father was, so that meant that if she was right, he was just as clueless as she had been all these years. She had asked him for advice in a round-a-bout way, but in the end even that had not helped her come to a decision. She was at a loss and until she came to a conclusion, she was just going to have to remain frustrated.

She was looking back at Wicker when his ears pricked. Abby was not surprised to hear the knock on her door a second later. She called, "Come in."

She rolled to her belly so she could face her visitor. Draco stuck only his head in, spotted her, smiled and said, "Morning."

She sighed and returned the greeting, "Good Morning."

He frowned, puzzled, "Something wrong?"

"No," she denied hurriedly, not wanting anyone to badger her about what was on her mind of late. She asked, hoping he would forget his first question, "Did you need something?"

Draco decided to not push Abby for an honest answer so he said, "My sister, Aria, is having her tenth birthday party today. I was hoping you and your mother would accompany me."

Abby immediately brightened. "Really? I'd love to go. I want to meet your sister."

"You do?" Draco asked curiously. "Why's that?"

"To see if she's as cranky as her brother, of course," Abby replied with a teasing glint in her eyes.

"Ha, ha, very funny, little girl," Draco pretended to be offended but could not pull it off, as he was grinning. "Go on; get out of those pajamas and into some clothes. I'll go speak to your mother about going."

"Don't let her talk you out of taking us," Abby warned and pleaded at the same time.

He winked. "I won't. Now get dressed."

"Yes sir," Abby replied smartly.

Draco closed the door as Abby jumped off the bed and started getting ready. Draco smiled over Abby's enthusiasm as he went in search of Hermione. It had been three days since Hermione had confessed the truth to him about Abby. They had not talked, really talked, since that night. Draco knew Hermione was avoiding him, but had decided that he would allow her a few days before he started slowly working back into his life, permanently.

Hermione was in the back of the apartment, in one of the unused bedrooms. She had converted it into a lab for her potion making. He was not sure what she was working on, but she spent almost all of her waking hours that were not spent with Abby in the room. When he knocked and entered without waiting for a reply, she hardly gave him more then a fleeting glance. She was measuring something and was concentrating so hard there was a thin film of perspiration on her wrinkled brow.

Draco waited until she was finished before asking, "Exactly what are you brewing up in here?"

Without looking up from the cauldron she had dumped her ingredients in, she replied, "Don't worry, I'm not brewing up anything to poison you with."

"Didn't think it was," Draco retorted. "However, I'd still be interested in knowing what you are trying to do."

"I'm trying to produce a potion that would reduce the effects of aging," she answered absently.

"What?" Draco asked surprised. He had expected something a little more from her, like a cure for the wolf bite or vampires, not what she had just told him. "Why the hell are you making something so trivial? Are you that afraid of growing old?"

She looked at him in disgust. "I'm not afraid of aging. The effects of the potion I'm trying to create wouldn't slow the actual aging process; it would only slow the effects of aging on a person's skin."

"It still boggles my mind as to why you would want to make something like that," Draco remarked. "There're already plenty of potions on the market that do exactly what you want."

"You're right," Hermione agreed. "However, the potions you're referring to are for the magical community, since if a Muggle were to use one, they would definitely suspect something was odd. I want to market one designed for Muggle retail."

"Ah," Draco breathed in understanding. "So, what you're, in fact, doing is trying to find the right ingredients so the potion works in a subtle way? This way it wouldn't alert the Muggles but you could sell it by the hundreds."

"One sale would be enough for me at this rate," she muttered. Before he could reply, she asked, "Did you interrupt me for a reason?"

"Hmm, yes." Draco nodded. "Aria's, my sister, birthday's today. I want you and Abigail to come along."

"Oh," she murmured. "Um, I don't know."

"Yeah, see I'm not giving you much of an option here," Draco informed her. "Abigail is bored out of her mind though she hasn't complained once. You cannot stay holed up in this room forever, either. You have both been cooped up since coming here; it's time to get out for a little while. Besides, Abigail is getting ready as we speak."

"I see," Hermione replied, her tone deceptively soft. "So you asked Abby before coming to me so I had no choice but to go."

He looked taken aback since that had not been his intention. "No, that's not how it is, Hermione. I simply thought you would both enjoy some time away from here."

"I don't believe you," she accused.

He sighed. "Believe what you want, as I think you once said to me. Please, just be ready in ten minutes."

He left her with her mouth hanging open in surprise. He smiled slightly: getting the upper hand was always fun.

The noise level when they entered his family's home was enough to make Draco want to turn around and head right back out. He took Hermione and Aria's cloaks and handed them, with his, over to Willie, the butler.

"Thanks, Willie," Draco shouted above the noise.

"You're welcome Master Draco," Willie yelled back.

Draco had told the older man to stop calling him Master Draco a million or more times, but the man refused to detour from the proper.

Draco spotted Aria across the room, talking to another little girl. He tried calling to her but the level of noise had risen even further, if that was possible. A third little girl noticed his attempts to gain Aria's attention and tapped his sister on the shoulder. Aria spun around and after a moment, she looked over in his direction. She must have screamed in delight since those closest to her covered their ears, but Draco was saved from hearing it. She raced over and threw herself into his arms. He swept her up and spun her around.

She kissed his cheek and said, "It's about time you showed up."

He leaned into her ear so he would not have to yell and said, "Happy birthday, little sister."

She grinned. "Thank you."

He set her back on her feet. She looked up at him and asked, "Did you bring your friend? What was her name? Oh, yeah, Abigail."

"Abby, please," Abby piped up from Draco's elbow.

Aria turned in Abby's direction and smiled. "Hello. It's nice to meet you. Draco told me a lot about you."

"It's nice to meet you too," Abby replied. Then, with a wicked gleam in her eyes, she said, "I'm so happy to know that grumpiness doesn't run in the family."

Abby's comment caused Aria to frown and ask, "Who's grumpy?"

"Your brother," Abby said and chuckled a little. "He tried to get rid of me when we first met."

Aria's lips formed an O and she said, "He did not, did he?"

"He did," Abby confirmed with another huge grin.

Aria's interest was caught. She took a hold of Abby's arm and started leading her away. Draco heard her say, "You have to tell me _everything._"

Draco groaned but smiled. He looked back to see Hermione still standing by the door. "I think those two will soon be the best of friends."

"Maybe," Hermione allowed.

Draco sighed inwardly. He walked over to her and led her to a quieter part of the house. "Here, have a seat. Would you like something to drink?"

"Yes, please."

"I'll be right back."

Draco threaded his way through the throng of kids and a few scattered adults to the concession stand his mother had set up at one end of the room. When he got there, the man behind the counter was helping a small boy. When the man turned around, Draco's eyes went hard and he demanded in a low harsh voice, "What the hell are you doing here, Pearson?"

Pearson's smile faded. His eyes turned dark with barely restrained hatred as he said, "Your mother hired me to cater the party."

"I'll see that she fires you," Draco snapped.

"Whatever you wish, Draco," Pearson retorted, not phased in the least by Draco's hard tone or threat. "My reasoning for actually taking such a simple, unchallenging job should interest you more."

"What the bloody hell are you talking about?" Draco growled, still maintaining a low tone.

"I was asked to deliver you a message," Pearson announced.

"What's the message," Draco asked, thinking it was from one of his contacts.

"I'm to tell you that you can't hide them forever."

Draco's blood ran cold and fear washed over him and waves. "Who hired you to give me the message?"

"I have no idea," Pearson answered with an indifferent shrug.

Draco reached across the low table and grabbed Pearson shirt with his fist. Draco yanked the man close, so that he was leaning over the table, almost on the other side with Draco. "Give me a name, Pearson or the only piece of you they'll find is your idea card."

For the first time since seeing Draco, a spark of fear entered the man's eyes. Pearson said shakily, "I really don't know who it was. I can't give you a name. I never saw the person. I was told the message and given my money. That's all and it's the truth."

"Can you contact this person?" Draco spat out.

"No." Pearson shook his greasy head. "I was told that after I delivered the message my services would not be needed again."

"If this person comes to you again," Draco warned, "you better get details, because next time I won't stop here."

Draco let him go, grabbed a couple of paper cups filled with pumpkin juice and walked away. He made his way to Hermione and thrust the cup at her. His abrupt change in mood alerted her that something was wrong. Draco could see that she was thinking about asking him what was wrong, but when he had sat down and she had still not said anything, he thought she had decided to leave it alone.

He had thought wrong. "What happened?"

"Nothing," he sneered.

"Don't lie," Hermione snapped back at him. "I can tell something happened. What was it?"

He did not want her knowing that Justice had just delivered another message so he told her only half the truth. "I ran into someone whom I detest greatly. We had a few words and it soured my mood."

Hermione studied his expression carefully before saying, "Oh."

Draco was surprised that she was letting it be so quickly. "That's all? 'Oh?'"

"What else would you like me to say?" she asked lightly. "If you want to tell me more than that, you will, and if you don't, then you won't. I'm not going to pry."

To his amazement, Draco discovered that he did want to tell her about Pearson, partly to warn her and partly because he wanted to share some of his past with her.

"The man's name is Pearson," Draco began. "I don't know his first name, I've forgotten it. Before my father's murder, the Dark Lord sent me and Pearson on a simply mission. He wanted a potion, a special potion, and the only person who was known to have any was an elderly witch who lived in a small cottage on the outskirts of Hampshire."

Hermione did not interrupt, but did turn slightly so she was facing him more. "The potion was Reversal of Fortune. I don't know what Voldemort wanted with it, probably wanted to change the direction his plans were going or something like that. Any how, it should have been a simple matter of going in, stunning the witch and getting out with the potion."

"What happened?" she asked gently.

"Pearson complicated the mission by deciding to torture and kill the old witch," Draco said, recalling the memory. "There was nothing I could do. I thought about doing something as I heard the woman's screams from outside where I was waiting. I should have stopped him."

Draco looked away, unwilling to see the disgust he knew must have been all over Hermione's face. He felt a hand on his shoulder. She turned him around to face her. "If you had stopped him, he would have reported that back to Voldemort and he would be dead now."

Her expression was filled with understanding rather than the hate he had believed he would see. He should have known that Hermione was the one person to comprehend how hard it had been for him. "Thank you for that."

"You're welcome."

Even though the figure stood to the side of a dirty and broken window, it was if no light would shine there. The hood hid the face and the shadows concealed the rest. The man hired to deliver the message was late, but it was not the lateness that bothered the person waiting. The waiting was not a hardship, only tedious and boring. What was causing the cloaked figure's annoyance was that the man hired had seen the face that was always so carefully kept from prying eyes. No one was to see the face, not until the right moment.

The hired helper appeared suddenly with a small pop. The figure at the window drew back slightly, taking every precaution not to be seen. It was the hired man's fault that he was soon going to be dead. The death of one man, who would not be mourned or missed, was not something the person waiting was going to fret about. In fact, the very thought of killing Pearson was sending thrills of excitement through out the body.

The man, Pearson, shoved his greasy hair out of his face and grinned, showing yellowed teeth. "I got the message to him just as I promised I would. Now," Pearson began rubbing his hands together in anticipation, "give me what was promised."

The figures raspy voice whispered from the depths of the hood, "Yes, what I promised."

"I want-"

"I know what you want," the voice rasped angrily.

"If you know so much, then why don't-"

It's as far as Pearson got. A spark of green light flashed across the room, illuminating the room briefly. Pearson crumbled to a heap on the floor, dead. The person in the shadows moved closer and nudged Pearson's lifeless body with a toe.

Underneath the hood, an evil smile spread across thin lips.


	20. Chapter 20

-1

**Dead Men Don't Talk**

Draco had first met Leo (known only by that name) seven years ago. Leo was a Muggle thug, but he was not just any thug: he was the top dog of thugs. He had come to Draco's office, wanting to hire him for a job, and had left Draco's office without retaining Draco, but with a respect that he felt for very few people. Draco did not particularly care if Leo liked him or not. Until Leo had come into his life, he had not known how well the criminal world was connected, and that was the only reason Draco allowed Leo to think they were friends.

Of course, Draco did have a grudging respect for Leo, too. Leo might have been a criminal, but he was an honest one, if there was such a thing. Leo had risen from the bottom to the top rather quickly and it was because of his eccentric code of ethics that he had remained at the top for the last thirty years. Leo was one of the meanest, toughest, and shrewdest criminals Draco knew and over the last seven years, Draco had come to know almost all of them.

After meeting Leo, Draco had taken the time to look into the man's past. Leo's life had never been easy and it was not hard to see why he had fallen into the criminal world. His mother, a woman by the name of Donna, had been poor and hooked on every drug a person could imagine. She had not fallen into the drug world until Leo was six, but even before that, Leo had learned that Donna had no love for her only son.

After she fell into drugs, though, Leo's life only got worse. Donna would bring men home; some of them ignored Leo, and others beat him. It did not take long for Leo to learn that when his mother was home, he was not. As he grew older and a little wiser, he had also started keeping track of what every man's name was who laid a hand on him. It would take years, but eventually Leo had extracted revenge on each and every one of those men.

When Leo was fourteen, he came home to find his mother's butchered body lying across the blood-soaked bedroom floor. He had not notified the proper people. He had not wanted to become a ward of the government, so he had quickly packed a few bags and vanished into the underground world where cruelty and loyalty went hand in hand. For a year, he had lived hand to mouth, doing odd jobs to earn just enough to make it through another day. That is, until he met Pickles.

Pickles took the young fifteen-year-old under his wing, so to speak, and had taught him everything he knew about the wheeling and dealing of the criminal life. Pickles also introduced Leo to Mort, the man at the top back in that time. Mort hired Leo on as an errand boy and from there, Leo only moved up. By the time he was eighteen, he had become one of Mort's personal body guards. When he was twenty, he became Mort's right hand man, and by the time he had turned twenty-two, he had replaced Mort as the top man in the criminal world.

Leo had, by then, made such a name for himself that no one had dared question the where-a-bouts of Leo's old boss. Even now, over thirty years later, Leo commanded such respect among his fellow criminals that not a single person dared to over throw his rule. But it was not the power Draco respected; it was the fact that although Leo was a criminal, he was not unfair in his dealings, even with the lowest members of the underground world. He was not a man who abused his power and that was the reason Draco respected the man to a certain degree.

Draco's reputation in the Muggle's criminal world was embellished and that was all thanks to Leo. When Leo had come to his office seeking Draco's services, Draco had turned him down. Leo had not taken too kindly to that and had tried to intimidate Draco into complying by telling his two over muscled body guards to make Draco see reason. Since the object of Leo's desire was a rare necklace known as the 'Heart Diamond' and it was on display in a national museum, Draco was not about to change his mind on the matter.

When Leo's guards had come at him, Draco had staged the scene to make it look as if he bested Leo's man with a few well placed punches, all the while muttering curses in their direction. It was that reason that Leo had left Draco's office respecting Draco rather than trying to kill him. It was also that particular incident that had led to Draco's over embellished reputation among the criminals of the Muggle world. Leo had spread the word that Draco was not a man to be trifled with and if Draco did not get his man, then Leo sure would. With a man like Leo backing him, Draco was assured of answers when he wanted them.

This was the reason he was now making his way to Leo's place of business. It was an old building, only four stories high with the lettering, 'Lions Shipping and Co.' stenciled in above the fourth story windows. As far as Draco knew, Leo had no real company and owned nothing more than a yacht which he housed down in the bay. Leo's business or lack there of, was not Draco's concern though, he was there to find out if Leo had managed to dig up anything about Justice and Pearson.

Leo, who was thankfully ignorant of the magical community, still knew a lot of people who were not so ignorant. The fact that he remained unaware of the magical world that secretly lived under his nose was simple, Leo refused to see it. He was the type of man who did not want to believe that magic existed. Some witches and wizards would have considered Leo the perfect Muggle because he knew, on some deep level, that magic was all around him, but even though he knew, he ignored it and pretended it was not there.

Draco nodded to the guards on the first floor as he entered the building. The fact that no one tried to stop him was to his benefit; it meant that his over inflated reputation was still intact. Draco took the stairs since he believed the rat trap elevator was not going to work much longer. He reached the fourth floor and went directly to Leo's office. The woman in the outer office shrank back when Draco entered, which he found amusing, but did not comment on. He did not let her announce his arrival either; he simply waltzed on by her and went into Leo's office.

Leo was on the phone, but when he saw Draco standing there, he told the person on the other end he would have to get back to them. After he hung up, he said, "Draco, nice to see you. I presume you're here about the matter we discussed before."

"It's been over two weeks since we last talked, Leo," Draco reminded him. "You were supposed to get back to me within a day or two."

"I know, I know," Leo sighed, not the least bit ruffled by Draco's temper. "But it's taking me longer then I thought to locate Pearson's where-a-bouts. In fact, I only just learned where he is."

"And where is that?" Draco asked nastily.

"The county morgue," Leo retorted, half amused, half disgusted.

"Excuse me?" Draco said.

"My men found him this morning in an abandoned building down by the docks," Leo explained drolly. "The funny thing about his body, according to my men, was that there wasn't a mark in him. No bullet wounds, no stab wounds, nothing. If I didn't know better, I would have to think the man overdosed on something, but Pearson wasn't into drugs. He was into a lot of other things, but not that. And so, I'm afraid we'll learn nothing from him since dead men don't talk too much."

Draco sighed in frustrated anger. Pearson had been his only lead so far into discovering Justice's true identity. Someone, Justice was Draco's first choice, had killed Pearson. Draco recognized the Killing Curse when he heard it and what Leo had just described fit.

"Damn it!" Draco suddenly exploded. He stood and started pacing the length of Leo's office, which was thankfully very spacious.

Leo watched the younger man for a few minutes, studying him. Calmly, since nothing usually ruffled his feathers after thirty years, he asked, "Just who is this man calling himself Justice? Why's he after you? What does he want?"

"I haven't got a clue as to who he is," Draco snapped. "Why do you think I came to you? He's not after me, he's after my daughter and her mother and I have no idea why or what he ultimately wants to gain."

Leo's full attention was now focused on Draco. "You have a daughter? You've never mentioned her before."

Draco stopped his pacing long enough to give Leo a dirty look. "You know damn well, since you peeked into my past, that if I had known about her, you would have known about her."

"I only looked into you because you're such a mystifying young man, I wanted to be positive that you were exactly who you claimed to be," Leo said, though he was not defending his actions. He felt no guilt for his actions. "Besides, you did the same."

Draco started pacing again. "Touché."

Leo was getting dizzy watching Draco, so he said, "Sit down, Draco, and we can talk about this. I can't concentrate with you running about like that."

"I'm not running about," Draco growled, though he sat down as suggested. "Have you learned anything since we last spoke?"

Leo spread his hands. "Not a thing. I can't find anyone on the streets who knows a man calling himself Justice. I found three women named such, but one is a nurse in Edinburgh, another is a stripper down at the local joint and the third is a student from Ireland, here on exchange."

"This man has to exist," Draco growled, his temper getting the better of him. "Someone out there knows something and I want that person found."

"I'm still working on it," Leo assured Draco.

"Let me know if you find anything," Draco said. "I want to be there if you find anyone who knows something."

"Will do."

Draco returned home more frustrated than when he had left. He was greeted with the sound of giggling, though, and that lifted his spirits a little. Aria had come to stay a few days with them and Draco was happy to have her there, even if Abby and Aria could often be found in the kitchen testing their baking skills.

Aria had begged a few recipes from Millie and had been, according to his baby sister, simply dying to try her hand at making them. Draco had agreed to give the two girl's free reign in the kitchen, only to discover his mistake after the first night. The two girls had practically destroyed the kitchen, but they had had fun doing it, so Draco had not been able to find it within himself to yell too much about the mess.

Draco headed for the kitchen, and sure enough, found the two hellions at it again. They were both covered in something that looked like flour and were giggling like loons. Hermione entered from the back just as Draco did. They met each other's gaze, Hermione looking amused, and Draco looking exasperated.

"What are you two trying to make this time?" Draco asked, afraid of the answer.

"Muffins," Aria said and grinned.

"Aria says Millie makes the best muffins, so we asked her for the recipe," Abby chimed in.

"It looks as if you have more ingredients on you than in the muffin mix," Draco replied dryly.

They found his comment amusing and fell into another fit of giggles. Draco rolled his eyes and reminded them, "Just be sure to clean up when you're through."

He left the room and went to his office. He had a few things to go over and he wanted to do it before he forgot.

A few hours later he noticed the silence and looked up. He glanced at the clock and groaned. It was well past eleven and he had to get up early. He rubbed his eyes and yawned. It was time to head to bed, but first he needed a stiff drink to help him ease some of the day's tension away.

He was just standing up to go over to the small bar he kept in the corner when there was a light rap on the door. Before he could tell whoever it was to come in, it opened and Hermione stepped inside. She softly closed the door behind her and waited for him to say something.

"Did you need something, Hermione?"

"I wanted…" she cleared her throat and started again. "I was wondering if I could talk to you for a minute. If you aren't too busy, that is?"

"Not at all, come in, have a seat." Draco indicated the small sofa set off to the side. "I was about to call it a night after a small nightcap. Care to join me?"

She hesitated a moment before nodding. "Yes, something light, please."

Light? He looked down at the bottles lined on the bar counter and frowned. He did not own anything light. He did not drink Butterbeer, since he found it a bit too sweet and he did not have any wines here in the office. He had Firewhiskey, Dragon Vodka, Fireball Rum, Flame Hopping Gin, and Hard Tail Tequila. He stooped over to see if there was anything else on the bottom shelves, but all that was there were a few canters and one bottle of Hellfire Brandy. Which one would she consider _light_?

Draco poured himself a glass of the Dragon Vodka and settled on the Hellfire Brandy for Hermione. He went over and took a seat next to her, handing her the goblet as he did. "Are the girls asleep?"

"Out cold," Hermione replied. She sipped from the glass and gasped. "What is this?"

"Hellfire Brandy," Draco said with a small smile. "It's the, er, lightest liquor I have. Sorry."

She shook her head. "No, it's okay. I just wasn't expecting it." She downed the rest of the contents in one long swallow. She held the goblet in her hands afterwards. Draco had a feeling she wanted to say something so he waited.

Finally, she said, "I overheard Abby today, telling Aria that she thinks you're her father." Draco waited to hear the rest. "Aria's response and I quote, ''Course he is.' Did you tell Aria?"

"No," Draco replied, incensed that she would think that. "I'm waiting, um, a little impatiently, for you tell Abigail before I tell anyone. When are you going to tell her?"

Her answer surprised him. "I told her. I pulled her aside earlier and did my best to explain things to her."

"How did she take it?" Draco asked concerned.

"Rather well, actually," Hermione said and handed the glass back to Draco. "Could I have a little more, please?"

Draco refilled the goblet and gave it back to her. She took a gulp of the fiery liquid, letting it burn her eyes and belly. "Abby told me that she thinks she understands why I never said anything to you, but I'm not sure if she really does."

"I don't think you give her enough credit," Draco defended Abby.

Hermione shrugged. "Maybe I don't, and maybe you give her too much credit."

"Point taken," Draco said, not wanting to squabble over the issue.

"Abby wants to talk to you about this, but she's asked me to tell you that it won't be until after Aria returns home," Hermione explained. "She said that she was happy to finally know the truth and that she's glad it's you, but she said it would be impolite to discuss such serious matters while she has company."

Draco smiled a little. "Sounds like Abigail."

Hermione only nodded as she brought the glass to her lips and downed the rest of the liquor. She got up herself this time, to refill the goblet. After sitting back down, she took a small sip. Draco was unable to stop himself from watching her. She was beautiful to him. He could still recall the night he had first noticed that underneath her bushy hair was a girl that was not ugly at all, but rather, a beauty that hid it well. It was the night, in their fourth year at Hogwarts, at the Yule Ball. She had walked past him on the arm of Viktor Krum and he had hardly recognized her. It was that night, though he had not yet realized it, that he started having feelings for her that had nothing to do with hateful disdain for what she was.

Her beauty was subtle and it took a keen eye to see it, something else he came to see in later years. Now, with her hair less wild than it had once been, it was not as hard to see that beauty first, and appreciate it as it should be. However, even with all that, it was still her eyes that captivated him the most. The liquid amber glowed in certain light and seemed to have a life of its own then. Even now, in the low light from the candle -lamps burning on his desk, they mesmerized him to the point that he was unable to look away.

Hermione swallowed the rest of the brandy and placed the goblet on the stand in front of her. Draco commented, "I didn't think you drank, not after that night."

"I-" Hermione stopped, seemed to consider what she wanted to say, and then blurted, "I haven't actually. You're right about that."

"Why tonight then?" he asked inquiringly.

She licked her lips nervously and leaned in close to him. She got so close that Draco was able to smell the brandy on her breath as she said, "Have you noticed that there's this, er, tension between us?"

"There is?" Draco asked softly, wondering where she was going with it.

"Yes, there is," she insisted with a nod. Her hair fell forward and she reached one hand up to brush it back into place. "It's not from the situation with Abby either. It's something else."

Draco did not dare move, afraid of breaking the spell they were seemingly under. "What is it then?"

Hermione tilted her head forward and to the side so that her lips brushed slightly over Draco's, as she answered, "Desire, lust, want, need, whatever it is you want to call it. It's there, hanging like a knife above our heads whenever we're in the same room."

"Ah," Draco breathed against her lips. "So you're drinking to forget about it?"

She leaned back a little and slowly shook her head.

Draco frowned. "Then why are you drinking?"

She once again brought her head forward so that her lips barely rested on Draco's. She hovered there and said, "So I can do this."

She closed the small distance between their mouths and kissed him.

Draco stopped her before she was able to deepen the kiss. He pulled back and looked into her eyes, silently questioning her. She stared back at him steadily, unflinching desire shining from her amber eyes. She appeared in control of what she was doing, but Draco had doubts, so many that he was unable to keep track of all that sprang to mind. The one thing that was on top of his list was regret. He was not going to set his progress back because she was just tipsy enough from the brandy to want this now.

His mind and body were fighting for control. His head was telling him to take things slowly while his body ached with needful wanting. His head said that if he allowed this to go forward, Hermione would later bemoan her choices of this night and he would be the one to pay the price. His body, aching with desire, was telling him to forget about the consequences and take what she was offering.

Hermione reached up, cupped the back of his neck with her hand and pulled him closer. She whispered against his lips, "Just let it happen."

It was as if she had heard his inner thoughts. Draco shook his head. "I can't… We can't do this, Hermione."

Draco could feel her breath on his face and it made a flutter of yearning roll dangerously around his middle. She smiled against his lips and said, "Yes, we can. I locked the door."

She was deliberately misunderstanding him. His lips brushed delicately over hers as he said, "Liar."

Hermione laughed a low, smoky sound that sent shivers of pleasure down his spine. "You think so? Check for yourself."

"Why would you lock the door?" he asked, stalling for time, trying to find the right road to take with her.

"You aren't the only one who can be sneaky, Draco." She nibbled on his lower lip, sending quivers over his body.

"Why did you come in here tonight?" Draco asked, growing wary of her reasons.

Hermione moved her body closer, so that she was almost on top of him. She moved her lips away from his mouth, but before he could sigh in relief, her mouth found the sensitive part of his neck and the sigh turned into a low moan. "I came to tell you about Abby knowing the truth now."

Draco did not believe her. "You're lying."

"Am I?" she sighed against his neck. "Does it matter that my reason hid my true purpose?"

Draco could not take it anymore. He grabbed her by the upper arms and pulled her back so he could see her face, not to mention that her actions were driving him crazy with desire. The more she teased his skin, the more difficult it was becoming to think straight. Since the moment she had knocked on his door looking for Abby, he had dreamed up a million different ways he would seduce her back into his bed. Never once, in any of the scenarios, had he imagined she would be the seductress. Never once, in all his dreams, had he believed she could be the aggressive pursuer and he the innocent target. Well, maybe _innocent_ was not the right term, but it was damn near close since he was starting to feel like she was playing with him.

Draco shook the absurd thoughts away and looked into Hermione's eyes. "You've had too much to drink and I don't think you're able to decide if this is what you really want."

She laughed that low, smoky laugh again and smiled. "I'm in no way drunk, not even a little tipsy. I know what I'm doing and I know what I want."

"I don't think you-"

She stopped him by bringing her lips back to his and lightly kissing him. "Stop thinking so much and just feel."

"I-"

She kissed him again, this time harder and longer. When she pulled back just a little, she said, "I've been thinking about this for a while now, Draco. I remember how good it was between us, this part anyway. I want this, just this one night. I want and need to feel your skin against mine, your lips on me, your-"

This time he cut her off, her words making him hot. "You'll regret this in the morning."

She slowly shook her head. "No, I won't"

"I can't,' Draco said and stood up and turned away from her. He knew if he looked at her again, he would lose the battle.

She was quiet for so long, Draco thought that it was possible she had left. He turned around to see if she had. He wished he had not looked.

Hermione was still there and completely naked.

Draco's shock evaporated in a blink as desire swept over him like a rush of running water. His brain went blissfully blank even as every nerve ending he had came alive. He swiftly went back to Hermione and knelt down in front of her. He dug his fingers into her hips and pulled her closer so that he could ravage her mouth. Her hands came up and she spread her fingers into his hair, meeting his mouth for the kiss. Draco needed more than a kiss. He wanted to delve into her as if she were something he could cover himself with.

Fire exploded between them as their lips melded together. She moaned a low, deep sound in the back of her throat. Draco could no longer hold back. He pulled her hips to meet his and her legs came around to straddle his hips. She wiggled against him and even though his clothing still separated them from full contact, the motion she made sent tingles of pulsing pleasure through him.

She whispered, "Please."

Something held him back from going forth. He braced his weight with his arms so that their bodies were not fully connected. He dipped his head down to trail light kisses from her neck to her mouth. She said again, "Please."

Against her lips, he said, "I want you to be sure."

In answer, she knocked his hands out from under her and at the same time lifted her lower half to meet him. Draco stopped thinking and let desire sweep him away.

Later, as they lay on the floor, still entwined and spent from their vigorous activity, Hermione sighed heavily for the second time. Draco could just see the side of her face and knew that the sigh was not one of regret, not yet, anyhow. Instead, she wore a soft expression of a woman who had thoroughly enjoyed herself. She moved slightly so that her head was cradled in the nook of his shoulder and arm. Draco did not stop her and would not have been able to even if he wanted to. He did not think he had the energy to move a muscle for the next hour at least.

When Hermione sighed for the third time though, Draco asked, "Something wrong?"

"Not at all," she replied lazily.

"Glad to hear it," Draco said, half amused.

She chuckled a little. "Afraid I'm feeling that regret you're so bent on thinking I'll feel?" She did not let him answer. She twisted her head around just a little so she could look up into his face. "I'm not regretting a single moment and I won't tomorrow, or the next day, or the day after that, or ever, so stop thinking I will."

Draco made no comment and after a minute, she turned away and settled back into the crook of his shoulder. He knew that he could not let her go on thinking that he was going to let it end here. He had to tell her that he was not going to let her have her 'one night' and then walk away, but he did not want to ruin the moment by bringing the subject up.

Hermione had never been someone who could be cold and calculating, and so he knew that there was something else going on inside that head of hers, but he was not sure what that something was. Even so, he had to tell her that he wanted more; he just was not sure how to tell her.

Finally, sighing inwardly, he said, "Hermione?"

"Hmm," she murmured sleepily.

"We have to talk," he said, flinching slightly and bracing himself for the outburst he was sure was coming.

It did not come. Hermione lazily rolled to the side and tossed a leg casually over his. She bent her head up so she could look into his face. As she did, her hair slid across his chest, and he reached up to brush it aside. She grabbed his hand and brought one finger to her mouth. His body reacted instantly. Draco yanked his hand away. When had Hermione become such a wanton seductress?

His reaction amused her and she laughed softly. She took one of her fingers and started tracing his chest with it. The sensation was almost too much and Draco moaned right before slamming his hand down over hers to stop her. In the past, she had always been up for a good romp in bed, but she had never been so blatantly sexual.

He asked, "Are you trying to get me going again?"

She gave him a wicked grin. "Depends. Is it working?"

"Knock it off, Hermione," Draco said with a sigh. "This isn't like you."

"It's been ten years, Draco," Hermione replied teasingly. "Maybe I've changed a bit over the years."

"And maybe," Draco snarled lightly as he slapped her hand off his chest once more, "you're only trying to avoid talking to me."

"Or," Hermione said as she slipped her fingers down to another part of his body, "you're simply getting too old to keep up with me."

Draco growled and flipped her onto her back, making her laugh sexily. He looked down at her and said, "If I recall I'm younger than you by a few months."

She smiled wickedly. "Prove it."

He did and it was another hour before he was able to think straight again. Draco wanted to groan when he was able to think again. He had allowed her to prick his pride, which had compelled him to prove himself. If he let it happen again, he was never going to get to what he wanted to discuss, since she appeared to be set on seducing him every time he tried to talk.

Once again, he tried to talk to her. He hauled her up his chest so they were face to face. He cradled her cheeks in his hands. "We have to talk."

She slowly shook her head, though it was difficult since he was holding her. "No, we don't. Not tonight. We can talk in the morning, or in a week, but not tonight. Tonight is for this and only this."

"No," Draco disagreed shortly. "We'll talk now."

She tried to let her head drop, but since Draco still had a hold on her, all that ended up happening was that her facial expression became scrunched. Between squished lips, she said, "Why can't you just let it go for now? If we talk it will ruin what we just shared."

"It won't ruin anything," Draco promised her with determination.

She sighed heavily and sat up so that she hugged him with her thighs. She also disregarded the fact that she was still completely in the nude and was therefore giving Draco a lovely view of her front. His reaction was to suck in his breath and look away. A sinful look came into Hermione's eyes, glinting there as she inched herself backwards to take what his body was willingly giving. When she was there, she smiled. "I think talking will have to wait."

Draco grabbed her about the hips and moved her away. He quickly tossed a blanket over Hermione so that her lovely body would not distract him once again. She chuckled over his actions, but did not say anything; instead, she pulled the blanket around her and laughed even harder when he got up and threw his pants back on for better insurance.

She sat down cross-legged on the floor and Draco joined her. Draco had expected her to get dressed and hightail it out of the room once she realized he was not going to let her seducing effect him once again, so he was a little surprised that she was simply snuggling up inside the blanket and sitting there, looking at him expectantly.

Since he was still unsure of what he really wanted to say, he took his time making himself comfortable on the floor beside her. The minutes dragged by, making him slightly nervous, so that he finally blurted, "I want to marry you," this surprised her as well as him.

Hermione moved so quickly that it took a second for him to realize that she was gathering her clothing and was about to leave his office. She was not going to reply, was not even going to acknowledge his announcement, but was simply going to leave. Draco hopped up from the floor and grabbed her by both arms. She tried to shake him off, but he only tightened his grip.

"Hermione, stop!" he nearly shouted. More calmly, he said, "It's not as if I said something deplorable."

Hermione stopped trying to get away and looked up at him. "I can't… No, I won't marry you. I told you that I cannot ever be with you again. I won't let myself feel like that ever again. I won't… I don't ever want to feel like I did then. Not with you or anyone else."

Pain sliced over his heart as something occurred to him. Softly he asked, "What was tonight, then? Revenge for what I once did?"

"What?" Her eyes rounded in shock and she immediately shook her head in denial. "No, of course not. I would never…I could never…" She took a deep breath and struggled for a semblance of control. "I wanted one night of…passion, I suppose, nothing more or less. I don't want marriage."

"Why are you so sure of that?" he asked, hoping to hear her say she was not sure of anything. "Maybe somewhere deep inside-"

She stopped him. Smiling sadly, she said, "No. No matter what came or comes from tonight, I promised myself, I would walk away without regrets and without worries."

He opened his mouth to say something more, but she was not done. "It's not about what happened in the past, and it's not about revenge for what did happen. It's not about how much you might have changed, or how sorry we both are for the roles we played back then. I won't let myself feel like that ever again, not about you, or someone else. I can't let myself become that vulnerable again; it hurt too much and I can't do it again. I've had my heart ripped to shreds twice in this lifetime; the first time was when Ron was killed and the second time was by you. I won't let it happen for a third time."

"Even if that means you're not truly living?" Draco asked quietly.

A deep sorrow filled her eyes and she smiled sadly. "If that's what it takes, Draco, then yes."

She pulled away and left the room. Draco let her go, but not in defeat. He was simply going to have to work harder to make her come around to his way of thinking. It was a good thing he liked a challenge, because Hermione was proving to be a far harder person to crack than he had originally thought.

A/N: Hermione's quite the little seductress, isn't she? I wanted to explore a different side to Hermione. She is, though we all tend to forget it, a woman, who has needs and desires just as much as the next person does. I hope I was able to describe the scenes between Hermione and Draco with grace and subtlety. Hope you liked the "sexy" side of Hermione so tell me what you thought.


	21. Chapter 21

-1

**Chapter Twenty-one**

**Taken Away**

By the end of the month Draco was not so sure Hermione was going to be that hard to crack open. Each night, after she got Abby and Aria off to bed she would sneak into his bedroom. There were only two things about the current arrangement that did not settle well with him. The first was that she would leave him soon after they were done making love and the second thing was that she refused to talk to him about anything but the mundane.

Last night she had come much later then usual and Draco suspected that she had actually tried to stay away and failed. After they had made love he had brought up his marriage proposal again, though he had not really meant too, it had sort of just come out of him. He had not gotten out the entire sentence though, before Hermione had gathered her things and left without a word. Draco did not see it as a set back though, since he felt that her reaction said that she was afraid of what she was feeling and was therefore afraid that she would cave in and marry him.

Thinking about it he started to doze off once more. A loud pounding on his bedroom door though made him growl low in his chest. He shouted, "Go away."

Abby shouted from the other side of the closed door, "We will not."

The threat reminded Draco of another time she had said the same thing. That time she had simply waltzed into his kitchen. Draco was thankful that he had pulled his pajama bottoms back on last night.

He called out, "Come in then."

The door swung open and crashed into the wall. It was on the rebound when Abby stopped it with a raised hand. She stormed into the room, Aria and Wicker right on her heels. Abby's expression was just as stormy as her entrance which had Draco sitting up in bed and taking notice. He did not have to wait long to find out why the two young girls were so fired up.

"Where's my mum?" Abby snapped nastily sounding very much like Hermione. "What did you do to her that made her go away?"

Arai nodded once and added, "What did you say to Hermione to make her so mad, Draco?"

Confused Draco asked, "What the hell are you two talking about?"

Abby balled up her fists and placed them on her hips in a fighting stance. Aria followed her friend's actions, glaring at Draco.

Abby yelled, "You may be my father but that doesn't mean I have to like you. You better not have hurt my mum because that will mean that I will have to get revenge and you won't like that."

"And," Aria chimed in, "you may be my favorite brother and all, but I'm gonna have to side with Abby on this."

"Okay, that's it," Draco rumbled as he climbed from the bed to tower over the two girls. The intimidation technique might have worked on other little kids but it was powerless on these two. The held their ground, identical frowns on their faces. Draco sighed, "I really don't know what the hell you two are talking about so unless you want to clue me in I can't answer your questions." He stopped them from jumping all over him verbally by holding up a hand. "Before you accuse me of anything more, why don't you try telling me what it is, _exactly_, what I did?"

"I'll tell you," Abby hissed between clenched teeth. "You did, or said something to my mum to make her leave and leave here with out me. That's what you did. I want to know what you did to make her so upset that she left without me."

"What do you mean that I-"

"She's not here," Abby screamed at him. She angrily tossed a small, crumpled piece of paper at him. "This was on her pillow this morning."

Taken back a little by Abby's hostility Draco reached out and snatched the paper before it floated to the floor. He read it.

_I have to go. I cannot remain here with you, not after what has happened._

Draco's first instinct was to get angry because of Hermione's seemingly selfish actions, but before the emotion could completely take him over he read the note again. Hermione, no matter how hard she felt things might have been going for her, would have never left Abby behind. It was also unlike Hermione, in Draco's opinion, to leave only a cryptic message. She would have been more likely to leave a ten page report on what she was feeling and why she had felt compelled to leave.

The rage that had been starting to build up was rapidly replaced by fear. Without another word to the two girls still standing in front of him Draco raced around them and out of the room. He went to his office where he quickly sent off two notes, one to Harry and one to Leo. Harry would receive his in moments but Leo's would be at least an hour. Without waiting for a response from Harry, Draco once again ran from the room, this time he went to Hermione's room.

It was when he was racing back out of his office that he realized Abby and Aria were still with him. He ignored both even as they started badgering him with questions. He opened Hermione's bedroom door and stepped inside. Draco went only a few steps in before he looked back at the two girls. They no longer looked angry but worried and scared. Thankfully they had also fallen silent.

Wicker was at Abby's side as usual but when Draco glanced his way the dog whimpered softly and trotted over to the glass doors that led to the terrace. Draco ignored the dog and turned his attention onto the room. Nothing appeared out of place. The only odd thing was that the candle-lamp was still burning on low. Other then that one thing, the room looked as if Hermione had simply left for the day. The closet door was open and her clothes were still hanging there. Draco was sure that if he checked the dressers her belongings would be there also.

Just then Wicker gave a low growl, drawing Draco's attention. The animal was now pawing at the glass doors. Draco asked Abby, "Does he have to use the outdoors?"

Abby shook her head, "I took him to the room only a little while ago."

Draco had magically transformed one of the spare rooms into a park area for Abby and Wicker to play in and for Wicker to use as animals did. Draco was still watching Wicker. Something about the animal was pulling at Draco but he did not quite now what it was. He walked over to where the dog was and opened the terrace doors. Before he even had them open, Wicker was out, making Draco follow him.

Draco immediately spotted Hermione's shawl, it was batting around in the wind, hanging off one of the railing poles. Cold fear filled his stomach as he went to the railing and pulled the shawl free. He was terrified to look over the rails, fearing the worst. He took a deep breath, braced himself and looked over. Nothing was there.

Wicker placed his front paws on the top of the railing and started howling in low tones at the morning sky. Draco frowned. He looked up but there was nothing but stone and brick. He looked out to where it appeared Wicker was looking but saw only sky with a few wispy looking clouds.

"What are you trying to tell me?"

Wicker turned those startling clear blue eyes on Draco and whimpered.

Suddenly Draco was struck with an idea. He spun away from the railing intending to go inside but when he turned he came face to face with Harry, Ginny and Neville. All three of them looked worried but Harry looked as if he would like to tear something apart.

"Where is she?" he asked, his tone harsh with fear.

"I'm not sure," Draco said with a quick shake of his head. "I think Justice has her but I don't know for sure. I think I have an idea though."

"What would that be?" Ginny demanded.

"Wicker," Draco replied without elaborating. He pushed past the three of them and left Hermione's room. He went down the hall, with the others following him, to the room Hermione had set up as her potion lab. The three other adults and two girls stopped short of fully entering the smaller room, content, for now, to stand in the entrance and watch as Draco began searching the shelves for ingredients.

"Harry?" Draco said, looking around for a measuring cup.

"Yeah?"

"Can you please find some _alihosty_ among the ingredients," Draco asked as he found the measuring cup and began measuring out the powdered _lacewing_ he was holding. "I'll also need some _ginger_ and _wormwood._"

"Okay," Harry drawled and began looking for the ingredients among the many jars and bottles. As he did he asked, "What exactly are you making?"

"The _Narro Sententail _potion," Draco answered as he tipped a drop of _dittany_ into the cauldron.

"Er, huh?" Harry asked. "I was never really that attentive in potions."

"It's a potion that allows animals to talk," Ginny answered for Draco.

"To talk?" Harry questioned skeptically.

"Not exactly like what you're thinking Harry," Draco explained. "It's more like hearing the animal inside your head."

"Will this potion hurt Wicker?" Abby asked worriedly from the doorway.

"No," Draco assured Abby with confidence. "It can't possibly hurt Wicker since it's not your pet that has to drink it."

"Who has to drink it?" Neville asked making a face.

"We do."

"I was afraid of that," Harry muttered with a look of disgust. In his experience, potions of any kind normally did not taste all that great.

"Won't Wicker have to drink some too?" Abby asked curiously. "Or we might not be able to hear him, right?"

Draco looked her way briefly then turned back to the cauldron. "Very astute thinking Abigail, but Wicker won't have to drink this potion. There's a spell that accompanies the potion that is placed on the animal." Draco sighed then, "I'm just not sure if it will work."

"Then why are we wasting time making the potion?" Ginny wanted to know.

"Because right now, it's all we have," Draco snapped.

Harry ignored both of their annoyed tones and asked, "Why aren't you sure it will work?"

"The potion is designed to work on magical creatures," Draco explained. "I've never heard of it working on, er, for lack of a better term, a muggle animal such as a dog. Normally the potions used for unicorns, dragons, owls and such. Though, to be honest, I never thought I would have a need for the potion. After all, who really wants to know what a dragon or an owl might be thinking?"

"Oh, I don't know," Harry mused as he placed the ingredients Draco had asked for next to him, "Sometimes I wonder what Hedwig is thinking."

Draco shot him an odd look but did not comment, instead he said, "I'm almost done. I just hope it works because I think Wicker knows something."

"It will work," Abby said with certainty.

"How are you so sure?" Neville asked though he did not seem too interested in the answer. Draco had a feeling he was trying to distract Abby. Abby's face was pale and they could all see the worry in her eyes.

"Wicker's a special dog," Abby replied evasively.

Draco saw something flicker in her eyes. She knew something but was not saying it. Draco stopped stirring the potion and looked at Abby. "What makes Wicker special?"

She shrugged, "He just is."

Harry caught on to what Draco had noticed and took a different approach. "If you know something, tell us Abby. It might help us find your mum."

Everyone waited while Abby considered first Draco, then Harry, before looking at Wicker and then back to Draco and Harry. She sighed, "I think Wicker's a Cadejo."

"A-" Harry shook his head. "Sorry, have no idea what that is?"

Ginny was also shaking her head but for a different reason. She was not as clueless as her husband seemed to be. "Abby, Cadejo's are nothing but myth and legend, even for the magical world. They don't exist and even if they did and Wicker was one, he wouldn't be helping you, he'd be trying to harm you."

Abby gave Ginny a sour look. "I know what a Cadejo is and you're wrong. Wicker would never hurt me Cadejo or not. Plus, if you know about Cadejo's you know that not all of them are supposed to be evil."

Ginny did not take offense to Abby's tone. She muttered, "Like mother like daughter."

Abby ignored the comment and turned back to Draco and Harry. "Aunt Ginny is right that the Cadejo, it is considered a myth but I don't think they are."

"What exactly is a, er, Cadejo," Harry asked.

"The myth or legend says that a Cadejo is a wolf spirit that appears to people to either guide them to safety or to kill them," Draco replied, looking at Wicker hoping to see something there to tell him if Abby was right in her belief, but all he saw was a dog that had some characteristics of a wolf.

"Well," Harry said slowly, "then I guess Wicker can't possibly be a Cadejo since he's definitely not a spirit."

Abby rolled her eyes, "That's what the myth is but I researched it and there's more to it then that."

"What else is there?" Neville asked, interested now.

Abby smiled briefly at him and then started telling them about the mythical animal. "A Cadejo is supposed to be what Draco told you they are but after I did some research I found out a bunch of other things about Cadejo's and what people believe about them."

"A Cadejo _is _a wolf spirit and they can be either good or bad," she told the room in general. "A White Cadejo is the good kind and a Black Cadejo is the evil kind. The Cadejo can become substantial though, if the spirit animal decides to become the _socius rector _of a person. That goes for the evil and good kind, though normally the evil ones choose only to corrupt and kill the person they attach themselves too, therefore returning to spirit form and doing it all over again."

Abby sucked in a breath and continued knowledgably. "A Black Cadejo does this for, er, fun but normally only to witches and wizards because in doing so they gain power. On the other hand the White Cadejo rarely chooses to become a _socius rector_ since they have no desire for power and no need for it. Instead, they remain true to their nature and only guide people to safety and protection when needed."

"Are you quoting this stuff?" Draco asked, half amused, half amazed.

"Sort of," Abby shrugged. "If a White Cadejo decides to become _firmus vultus, _which means solid formed, it can, but like I said before it's rare."

"Alright, I have two questions," Draco began. He knew something about the Cadejo also since the mythical beast had once, long ago, fascinated him. "My first question; if Wicker is a White Cadejo as you believe then why did he choose to become your socius rector?"

Harry interrupted at that point to ask, "Exactly what is a _socius rector_?"

"Roughly translated it means, companion guide," Draco answered briefly. He turned back to Abby. "My second question is why do you believe Wicker's a Cadejo? Actually, answer this question first."

"I believe Wicker's a Cadejo because he looks just like all the paintings and pictures I could find on the animal," Abby said. "I also think he's way to smart to be a regular dog. He seems to know things and sometimes I think I see him doing strange things but when I really look he's back to looking normal again."

Draco did not ask Abby to explain what she thought she saw Wicker doing because he had a feeling she would not be able to answer very well. Instead he said, "Okay, what about my other question?"

Abby shrugged, "I don't really know why he would have decided to become my _socius rector_." She spread her hands out in helpless gesture. "I couldn't find anything on a White Cadejo becoming one to anyone so I couldn't come up with a reason. There was information saying that it has happened but no real references to who, how, or why."

Draco had become used to Abby's smarts but it still amazed him that a girl of nine would take time to research something so extensively. He did not say why he suspected Wicker might be a White Cadejo or why he might have chosen Abby though. He thought it better to find Hermione first and discuss it with her when they had caught and taken care of Justice.

"Well, there's one way to put all this speculation to rest," Draco said into the silence, "and that's to finish the potion."

The room fell silent again as Draco went back to work on the potion.

Hermione woke in slow degrees, the pain from the back of her head making her woozy and nauseas. When she was completely awake she remained laying where she was, with her eyes closed, trying to will away some of the ache at the base of her skull. When she felt that she had some of the pain under control she opened her eyes only to realize that she was still blind. She blinked, rubbed her eyes and tried to get a better view of where she was but it was no use.

The only light in the room was coming from a grimy, dirt streaked window set high above her head. What light came through the window did nothing more than cast everything into black and grey shadows, making it impossible to distinguish anything for what it was. Hermione sat up, taking her time because movement of any kind was sending her stomach into rolling fits of sickness. Once she was fully up she reached up with one hand and gingerly felt the back of her head.

She winced and made a hissing noise of pain when her fingers met with the large bump that had formed there. She pushed past the pain and felt the area. She could feel something sticky and drying so she knew that whatever she had been hit with had broken skin and had caused some bleeding. She let her hand drop back into her lap. There was nothing she could do fore her head right now so there was no point in irritating the spot by touching it.

Once again she tried to see where she was but the room was still as shadowed as it had been upon her first opening her eyes. She gave the notion of seeing where she was up and instead, started feeling all around her. She was on something soft, a bed, a cot or something similar but that was all she could discern. She tried moving to the edge of whatever it was she was on and that was when she heard rattling and felt the tug of something around her ankles.

Frowning, she felt down her legs until she reached iron shackles bound around both her ankles.

The shackles were connected by a thick chain and from that chain; she followed a second chain, this one thicker, to the wall. Though she was not able to see it, she felt a metal ring that, as far as she could tell, was embedded in the wall. The chain and shackles made her plans to investigate the room an impossible option. It also made her job of planning an escape more difficult.

Hermione was without her wand and though she was able to do simple spells without her wand, she doubted that she would be able to open the locked shackles or break the chain that kept her bound. Even so, she had to try. She whispered into the darkness, in the general direction of her feet, "_Alahorma._"

Of course, as she had expected, nothing happened. She refused to give up that easily though and so started rattling off every opening, freeing and unlocking spell she could think of. "_Obviam. Aperio. Eximo. Erumpo. Laxus. Ereptum. Licens. Solvo._" None of them did anything but annoy her for not working.

She changed tactics and decided to try and break the chain that held her to the wall. "_Effrego. Scindo. Abrumpo. Quasso._"

Once again nothing happened. She was not sure if it was because the spells simply were not strong enough, if the chains were magically enhanced or if she was just not concentrating hard enough. She tried a few crushing spells, hoping to crush the chains into dust. "_Frendo. Fragor."_ Nothing. She tried chopping and cutting spells. _"Conseco. Incidere._" She tried to vanish the chains. _"Abeo. Expello. Sepono._" Then, as a last resort to simply tried to remove the chains and shackles. _"Aufero. Extraho._"

Hermione tried harder, using the same spells and when, after what felt like hours of trying but was only minutes, the chains and shackles remained in place she sat back against the wall, exhausted. In pure frustration she yanked on the chain that held her to wall hoping to shake it loose. Of course nothing happened except she scraped her fingers, making them tender. Growing irritated with herself and just a little fearful of her situation Hermione grabbed a hold of the chain between the two shackles and yanked with all her strength. She cried out in pain as the metal edges scraped and tore her skin open.

She held her ankles, hoping to ease the pain but it continued to throb. She let go and ribbed off two narrow strips from her nightgown. She wrapped the pieces around her ankles, cushioning them from the metal a little. When she was done she lay down on the bed and calmed herself down so that she could think. She took slow, deep breaths and cleared her head. When she was sure she had everything back in control she let herself look her situation over.

She knew that Justice was the one who had her. At this point she did not care who the man was or even why he was holding her prisoner. What she did care about was getting away because she knew that she was on borrowed time. Justice wanted her dead, his letters had said as much, why he had not killed her, the first chance he had was not something she wanted to think about since she was grateful to have this chance to find a way out. Her only problem was that, without her wand, she was pretty helpless and at the moment, completely alone.

She closed her eyes tightly shut as the tears started to come. She would not give into her emotions, later when she was safe and free she could cry all she wanted but right now she had to concentrate on getting away. She had to get away; she refused to leave Abby as a motherless child. She would not allow someone to take her away from Abby.

Thinking of Abby made her think of Draco. She had thought, only last night that she could live her life alone, without him, but that had been a lie. She had never been able to forget him and she had lied to herself over the years, trying to make him out to be the bad guy but in reality she could have made him listen. She could have stopped him from throwing her out but the truth had been that she was terrified of how she felt about him. Draco had been her enemy for so long that when he had joined the Order and they had become lovers she had been confused and lost. She had been wrong in keeping Abby from him but that had not been her only mistake.

She should have, after learning that she was pregnant, gone back to Draco and fought for what she wanted. Instead, she had run away like a scared little girl and by the time she came to realize her mistake it had been too late. It was, one regret that she would never be able to forgive herself for.

Just then Hermione sensed that she was not alone. She slowly surveyed the room but she saw nothing that caused her alarm. Even so, the feeling of forbidding remained. She sat up and pushed her back up against the wall. If there was someone in the room with her then she did not want to be surprised from behind. Her eyes darted from shadow to shadow but nothing moved. She was starting to think that her mind was paying tricks on her when she heard a soft swishing noise.

"Who's there?"

No one answered her weak call. She cleared her throat, hating that she sounded so sacred and asked again, "Is someone here?"

Another swish sounded from the dark, reminding Hermione of robes billowing about in the wind. A thin, whispery voice asked, "Are you scared, Hermione?"

"Who are you?" Hermione asked, ignoring the question.

"Tsk, tsk," the voice replied. "I get to ask the questions, not you."

Sounding a lot braver then she felt she said, "Fine, but I don't have to answer."

Something crashed, causing her to jump and shrink back further, thinking that something was about to hit her. Nothing did and when she looked up she could just make out the shape of a robed, hooded figure, dressed in all black so that he blended in with the surroundings.

"I'm the one who has the control here, Hermione," the figure snapped harshly, keeping his tone just below normal levels. "I want answers and I will have them or you'll die now instead of later."

"Well, if you're going to kill me anyhow, then why should I answer?" Hermione asked slightly annoyed, though fear was just below the surface.

"Because your silence means Abby's death too."

Cold terror dripped down her spine. "Don't you dare touch my daughter. Don't even go near her."

A sinister chuckle issued from under the hood. "I will do as I please and there's nothing you can do to stop me."

Losing control Hermione yelled, "Who the hell are you? What did I ever do to you?"

"You know me," was the whispered reply. "You stole my life."

"How can someone still a life?" Hermione asked bewildered. "I don't know you so tell me who the hell you are."

Her question only enraged the figure under the robes. Screaming now he said, "YOU KNOW ME! YOU TOOK WHAT WAS MINE! BLOOD FOR BLOOD! FLESH FOR FLESH! BONE FOR BONE!"

"My God, you're flipping nuts," Hermione muttered.

Suddenly the man lifted a covered arm and shouted, "_Lux Lucis_." The room was filled with bright light. The figure swept forward and towered over Hermione. Two white hands reached out, Hermione flinched but all that happened was that he began pulling back his hood.

Hermione watched in fascinated horror as the face of Justice was revealed. She screamed once before falling back in a dead faint.

A/N The Cadejo is a mythical beast that appears in spirit form to travelers to lure them to into danger or safety, that much is true according to legend. Most of the rest is my imagination at work. I wanted a animal that resembled a wolf/dog that was mythical and never mentioned in the HP books so I did a little research and came across the Cadejo. According to the legends it can appear as a white wolf or a black one, the white being the good one and the black being the bad. That's as far as I read since the idea of what I was looking for was gained from just that little information. If you want to know more about the actual legend, myth and origins of the Cadejo you can do so by going to and typing in Cadejo or go to As for Wicker actually being such a beast…….


	22. Chapter 22

-1

**Chapter Twenty-Two**

**Wicker Speaks**

Draco had finished making the potion and was now filling the glasses he had conjured with the silvery-white liquid. Harry took a glass as Draco passed it to him. He made a face and said, "I wonder if it taste as awful as it looks?"

"Very likely," Ginny replied, her face screwed up in disgust. She took the glass Draco had just handed her and held it up to her nose. "Ew, it smells horrible."

Draco handed a glass to Neville, who took it without comment. Draco then handed over a glass to Abby and Aria. He would have preferred that the two youngest members of the group not take the potion, but had decided that he did not want to waste time arguing with them. He picked up the last glass for himself and sniffed gingerly. Ginny was right: it did smell terrible, but he ignored the odor.

"After taking the potion," he told the others. "We'll have a few hours to converse with Wicker, if it works. It's not a very long lasting potion so no blathering on from anyone. We find out if he knows anything and then…well, we'll see."

Ginny asked, "What about the spell for Wicker?"

"I'll cast it after we've taken the potion," Draco explained. He held up his glass as if he was preparing to give a toast. "Bottom's up."

He made a face, expecting the contents to taste as nasty as it looked, but was pleasantly surprised to discover that the potion was actually on the sweeter side. He finished the entire glass, and when he was done, he set it on the nearest table top.

"That was not as horrible I believed it would be," he admitted.

Harry agreed, "It was definitely one of the better tasting potions I've had the displeasure of taking."

Draco brought out his wand and pointed it at Wicker. " I _Canis Sermo /I _."

He heard someone say, "I hope this works," and looked around to see who had spoken. Only, no one looking at him: they were all looking at Wicker expectantly. It was then that Draco realized that he had not heard the voice but, rather, it had been inside his head. Even so, he was not at all positive that it had been Wicker's voice.

Neville was the first to ask, "Well, did it work?"

"I don't kno-" Draco started to say.

_Can you hear me?_

Harry shook his head but not in denial. "Wow, this is really, er, different. I've had some strange experiences in my life, but hearing a dog speak inside your head is something new."

Abby whooped joyfully and ran over to Wicker's side. She hugged him tightly. "This is so cool. I wish we could talk all the time."

_Ah, I wish the same, but if Niveus hears of this, she'll forbid me to remain. _

"Who's Niveus?" Draco and Harry asked at the same time.

_My creator,_ Wicker replied. _I am not a Cadejo as Abby has said. Sorry dear. _

Abby shrugged. "Whatever. I don't really care if you are or not."

"Are you - er - special in another way, then?" Harry thought to ask.

_I don't have magical abilities or powers , _Wicker said. _So, if that's what you mean by special, then no, I'm not special in anyway. _

"You keeping something from us though," Draco said suspiciously.

"My thoughts are the same," Harry agreed. "What is it that you aren't telling us?"

Wicker seemed to hesitate for a minute. Finally his thoughts came to them. _I am not a normal dog but, as I said, I am not exactly magical either. _

"Tell us what you _are_," Ginny demanded.

_A Susceptor_, Wicker replied.

"A-" Draco thought to recall his Latin lessons, "A guard? I've never heard of your kind. What exactly are you supposed to be guarding?"

_No, not a guard,_ Wicker seemed to shake his head._ I'm a guardian._

Suddenly something clicked inside Draco's head and he said out loud, not meaning too, "No."

Harry looked at him quizzically. "No? What do you mean?"

Draco shook his head. "Never mind." He looked at Wicker and said, "Do you know anything about Hermione?"

Wicker seemed to consider something for a minute before he spoke. _I can't tell you where she is, but I can sense that she is alive._

"So, if you're sensing her," Harry mused slowly. "You must have something of magic in you. I mean to say that normal, ordinary animals would not be able to do that." He looked around at the others, "Right?"

"Yeah," Neville agreed but than contradicted himself by saying, "Well, actually, even the most ordinary animals seem to have a sixth sense."

"That's not exactly a sixth sense though, is it?" Ginny retorted. "I mean, every animal, even the mundane ones, have an ability to sense things to one extent, but to know if someone is still alive?" She shook her head. "I don't think that would fall under the same category."

"No," Draco agreed. "It wouldn't. How do you know that Hermione is still alive?"

"Wait," Harry stopped Wicker from answering. "First explain to all of us, what you are and why you're here?"

Wicker actually sighed, which made Draco realize that although they could all hear Wicker inside their heads, he was actually making sounds as well.

_Many, thousands of years ago, when men were just starting out, there were Beings of Light and Dark. _Wicker sat back on his hunches as he explained. _The Light was Niveus and the Dark was Nixeus. Niveus wanted to protect and guide mankind, but Nixeus wanted to destroy it. _

"Get to the point," Draco snapped impatiently.

_Fine, _Wicker barked back. _Niveus created the Susceptor, a race of beings that would guide and protect people of all kinds. I am one of those. We have certain abilities that, to you would seem magical, but, in reality, come only from Niveus. She allows me to see that Hermione is alive, but I am cannot know where she is. I am allowed to guide Abby along certain paths, but I am not allowed to interfere if she chooses another. I have limited power and that power comes directly from my connection to Niveus and to…Abby. _

"You're connected to Abby?" Ginny asked quietly. "How so?"

_It's not as dreadful as you might be thinking, _Wicker said. _By being connected to Abby, I can see things that might harm her or help her. I simply try to steer her away from the former and help her obtain the later. _

"Anything else?" Draco bit out.

_I can, if I wish to, see a person's life-force, _Wicker divulged. _Their auro's as you might call them. Each person's life-force is distinct. _

When Wicker said nothing more Draco asked, "Is that all?"

_For now, _Wicker replied.

"If there's more, I want to know." Harry snapped, losing patience. "My best friend is out there and I want her found. If you know anything more you'd better tell us now."

_As I said, I know she's alive, but that's all I know._ Wicker stood back up on all fours. _The only person I am completely connected too is Abby, so my abilities as far as Hermione, are limited. _

"When we were out on the terrace, it appeared as if you wanted to be able to tell me something," Draco mentioned stiffly. "Was that my imagination?"

_No, _Wicker said._ I got a sense of something while I was out there. Whoever took her is not only evil, but has something wrong with their life-force. _

"What does that mean?" Ginny wanted to know. "How can something be wrong with an aura?"

Wicker said, _I wish you all could see what I can. A life- _

Neville interrupted, "There's a way."

Draco looked around toward Neville. "There's a way for what?"

"There's a way to see auras," Neville explained. "I remember reading about a spell once that allowed the person to see auras."

"Do you remember the spell?" Harry asked, trying to keep his tone even.

Neville started shaking his head but stopped. "Actually, I don't remember the actual words for the spell but I do recall that I read it in a book."

"Which book?" Harry said grimly.

"Er, it was called, 'Potions and Spells for the Eyes.' Neville turned to Draco. "Do you happen to have a copy?"

Draco shrugged, "No idea. I have so many books and I…"

Draco's voice trailed away as he remembered something. He swept the room, leaving the others staring after him in puzzlement. Harry said, "I hate it when people do that. Hermione used to do that all the time, drove me and Ron nuts."

Ginny smiled weakly. "I remember that."

Harry turned to stare at his wife. He knew that the death of her brother still bothered her. Ron's death still had the ability to hit Harry hard at times, too. He walked over to Ginny and wrapped his arms around her. Without having to say a word, he offered her comfort. She circled her arms around his waist and returned the gesture.

They were still embracing moments later when Draco returned carrying a very thin book. "It's not the one Neville mentioned, but I remembered that I had this."

He held it up and Harry read the title, 'The Eye in the Spells.' Harry was used to the Strange titles of magical books by now so did not even blink over this one. He asked instead, "Does it have the spell we're looking for in it?"

Draco was rummaging through the pages and did not answer right away. When he did he said, "I think this one will do. I don't know if it's the same one Neville came across but this one says that by performing the spell the witch or wizard will be able to see a person's aura so it should do."

Harry was about to point out that not everyone there could perform magic when Draco said, "It says here that the spell can be cast on a group of people also, so I'll perform that one."

He raised his wand and after reading from the book once more he said, "_Vitavis Plurres._"

Draco had closed his eyes when after saying the spell the room had become filled with such brilliant light it had almost burned his eyes. When he opened them again he was unable to say a word because what he saw was literally leaving him speechless. Every person in the room was surrounded by a bright ring of swirling lights, but it was the difference in each person's glowing shell that had him fascinated.

Draco was unable to look away, not only because he was amazed at the light show he was seeing but because it seemed as if every single person in the room had something oddly different about their auras. He knew that it was not the difference in the person's colors but something else; something he could not quite see, but knew was there.

_From the looks on all your faces I can assume the spell worked, _Wicker said amused.

"It's…, it's simply amazing." Neville was now looking at the others in the room as if he had never seen them before.

"It's amazing and it's beautiful," Ginny agreed. "But there's something strangely eerie about it also. It's as if we're, well, as if we're…"

"Invading someone's privacy," Harry offered. "Like we're looking into their minds and…"

"Stealing their private thoughts," Ginny finished.

Draco spoke up, "Something's wrong though, something's not right."

Harry frowned and said thoughtfully, "Yeah, I feel that way too, but I thought it was just the oddness of it all."

Draco shook his head. "No, it's more than that." He looked at Wicker, "What is that we're missing? I know there's something that I should be spotting, but I can't put my finger on it."

_Each and every living thing has an aura, _Wicker explained. _But because of our limited time, I'll only explain about humans. You should all be seeing colors around every single person. _

Draco nodded, "I do." The others nodded in agreement as well.

Wicker went on. _The colors should be mixing, melding into one another. _Again, they all agreed. _Inside the shelter of colors, there should be one lone color that does not mix with the outer shell. This is the one thing that is unique to each human. _

Ginny shook her head, "How can that be? There can't possibly be enough colors in the world so that every single person has a unique color - er - ring."

_Ah, but there is, _Wicker disagreed. _Humans cannot see all the shades that the world provides, but I can. Even now, your ability to see the differences is limited. It's why you could tell there was something different, but couldn't grasp what it was. Now that you know, look again. _

Draco did and saw that Wicker was right. He looked at Abby first and saw that the color ring around her was a vibrant shade of purple. Aria's ring was a pale rose, Ginny's was a bright shade of green, Harry's was a vividly bright shade of golden yellow and Neville's was almost like a sea green. Draco looked down at his hands again and saw that his inner ring was a silvery blue.

Draco had to pull his eyes away before he forgot why they had done the spell in the first place. "Okay, now that we see what you see, explain to us what was so wrong about the person who took Hermione, aura?"

_The aura was colorless, _Wicker said. _It's almost as if the person has no life-force. I have seen some truly messed up auras, but this was completely wrong. There was not an outer ring of colors and the inner ring is so pale it's as if it's not even there. _

"How, um, odd," Ginny said, still staring at them all in turn, a look of wonder on her face.

Before anyone could comment further, the door chimes rang through out the house. Draco glanced around and spotted Harry. He asked, "Expecting anyone?"

"Not at all," Harry shook his head. "It's your place, mate; are you expecting anyone?"

"No," Draco replied and started to leave the room. Everyone followed him.

He reached the door just as the chimes rang again. He reached out and yanked the door open. "Carl?"

"Boss sent me here to give you this," Carl said in stuttering grunts.

Draco took the folded piece of paper and thanked Carl. After closing the door, he turned and was a little surprised to see everyone right behind him. He took a step back and said, "I'm perfectly capable of answering a door."

Harry grinned cheekily, "We know that, but we're all curious and…" he shrugged.

Ginny asked, "Whose Carl?"

"One of Leo's goons," Draco supplied.

"He's a pretty big man," Ginny commented. "Does he have giant in him?"

Draco actually chuckled a little. "No. Leo's a Muggle thug and Carl is one of his muscle men."

"Oh," Ginny breathed out.

"What does this Leo fellow want?" Harry asked.

Draco opened the note and read before saying, "He wants to meet with me as soon as possible."

"Well, you can't go now," Ginny said harshly. "We have to find Hermione."

Draco gave her a brief look before turning to Harry. "Leo's one of the Muggle contacts I mentioned the other day. It says in his note that he might have learned something about the man we're looking for."

"Then go," Neville said immediately. "We'll see what we can do to locate Hermione while you're out."

"You're coming with me, Harry," Draco said without hesitation. "And so is Wicker."

"I'm coming too," Abby rushed to say.

"Me too," Aria joined in.

"_No - you - are - not!_" Draco emphasized each syllable. "You will both stay here and stay put."

"Bu-"

"No!" Draco repeated. "Leo's place is not in the best area of town and I don't want to worry about you two while there."

He turned to Harry. "You know where the old water front street used to be?"

Harry nodded, "Yeah, down on Crawlish, by the Jillmin Factory."

Draco nodded, "Yeah. Right by there is an Apparating point. Know it?"

"Yeah."

"Then let's go."

Draco and Harry left together, but as they went, Draco's stomach twisted into knots. The feeling was strangely foreboding and it made him feel all that much more anxious to find Hermione and end this once and for all.

Draco was the first to arrive at the Apparition point, but a second later Harry popped into view with Wicker. Draco heard Wicker say, sounding rather sick, _That's not something I wish to experience very often. _

Harry grinned slightly. "It does take getting used too."

Draco interrupted to say, "Leo's office is a few blocks over. We'll have to walk from here."

As they started walking Harry asked, "I've been meaning to ask you something, Wicker?"

_I'll answer if I can. _

"Well, there're a few things that have been bothering me since learning about you," Harry said, gauging his words carefully. "First of all, you mentioned that you are connected Abby. If that's the case, how come you were unable to find her when she was taken and where did you run off to?"

_I am connected more strongly to Abby than I am to others, _Wicker agreed._ However, when she was taken, it was as if she vanished. I was gone because I was trying to find her by sensing her, but I couldn't even manage that. When I did finally find her, she was up in that tree, so I spent the night patrolling the surrounding area to make sure she stayed safe until morning. I was on the other end of the clearing when I heard you and the others calling for her. At that point I knew she would reach home safely, so I ran back to Hermione's cabin and waited for Abby. _

From the corner of his eye, Draco could see that Harry was thinking about what Wicker had just said, and whether it was the truth. After a moment he said, "Okay. I can't really say that you're lying since I know next to nothing about you. I will say that this, if I ever learn that you're not what you say you are and you hurt Abby, watch out."

_Fair enough. _

"Glad you understand," Harry said. "Now, I have another question. What exactly is a Susceptor and why does Abby need one?"

Draco did not give Wicker a chance to reply. He said, "A Susceptor is a spirited being that guides and protects those who are supposedly destined for something more than a normal life."

"Really?" Harry looked surprised before mumbling, "Wished I'd had one of those."

"No you don't," Draco assured him. "A guardian is not always there to help that person achieve their destined goal. Sometimes a Susceptor is there to make sure the person does-"

_I believe you are getting your legends mixed up, _Wicker growled. _Atra, the being of Dark, also known as the Deceiver, is what you're thinking of. I am not here to hurt Abby, but to make sure that whatever Niveus has in store for her, comes to pass. _

"So you say," Draco muttered angrily.

Harry said, "Wait, wait. Let me get this straight. Abby's destiny is in the hands of a… Er, what exactly is Niveus?"

"She's a goddess, or a spirited being of the Light," Draco answered. "The legend says that men of ancient times worshipped her and-"

_Again you're not all that accurate, _Wicker once more interrupted. _Niveus is not a goddess and though some men tried to make her one, she refused to allow anyone to worship her. _

Wicker looked up at Harry. _Niveus is immortal, true, but she is no more powerful than many witches and wizards. People perceive her that way because, after having lived for centuries, she has gained knowledge beyond which any other person could claim, and because of that she appears mysterious and god-like. _

"Okay," Harry said very slowly. "But tell me, if she's not all that powerful, how does she know who is destined for something and who is not?"

_She's what you would call a Seer, but, _Wicker was quick to say, _she does not predict the future or make prophecies as you would define them to be. And before you ask, I do not know how she does it. _

"So you don't know what Abby's destiny is about?" Harry asked curiously.

Wicker shook his head. _No. All I know is that in order to have the life she was supposed to lead, she is in need of a Susceptor_, _which is the reason I was sent. _

"I-"

Draco cut Harry off. "Why don't you go tell Niveus to leave my daughter alone?"

Harry looked at Draco in surprise. "Um, I take it you don't want Abby to become great?"

"It's not that I don't want her to be great," Draco denied. "I just don't think that she should have to suffer in order to be great."

"Huh?"

Wicker explained, _Draco believes that in order for anyone to have a destiny greater than the normal life's pursuits that person must suffer terribly. _

"Is that true, Draco?" Harry asked. When Draco did not reply, Harry wondered out loud, "Why do you think that way?"

_Because when he thinks of greatness, he thinks of you and in his eyes, you suffered and horribly. _

Harry stopped dead. "You think I had a horrible life?"

Draco also stopped. He hesitated before saying, "I don't think your life was I _horrible_/I but I don't think that you had a happy, fulfilling life. I mean, you do now, but before Voldemort was defeated, you suffered, and you can't deny that."

"I-" Harry shook his head. He seemed to consider what he was about to say. At last he said, "You're right, but you're wrong at the same time. There were times when I thought that my life was just one tragic event after another. After all, at the age of one, I lost both my parents and had to live with an aunt and uncle who despised me. Then when I was eleven, I learned that I was a wizard and I was thrilled."

Draco made to interrupt but Harry stopped him. "No, let me finish. It's true that I lost my parents, but I didn't truly suffer from that. I know that sounds terrible, but I was only a baby. I didn't feel their loss until years later and even then, it was not so much a loss but a longing to have known them. My true losses were in having to watch Sirius die, then Dumbledore, then Ron and countless others. I still miss them to this day, but, and here's the kicker, if I had not lost those whom I loved, I would have never been able to defeat Voldemort."

Harry still refused to let Draco speak. "See, one of the things that Dumbledore always stressed to me, is that it would be my ability to love that would eventually bring Voldemort down. Voldemort, for all his power, did not fully understand this one emotion, and because of it, he could not see that it was the one weakness that he had. It took me awhile to completely get the love thing too, but when I did, I knew how to end it, and so I did."

"It was my faith, my love that kept me going," Harry explained his voice soft. "If I had never loved, I would have never been able to end the war. _But_, that was _my_ destiny, if that's what you want to call it. I had to lose those people in order to gain what I have now."

"What the hell have you gained, Harry?" Draco asked jeering.

Harry shook his head and ignored Draco's nasty tone. "You aren't listening. If I hadn't grown up in my aunt and uncle's home, I would have never known what it was like to be bullied and treated as horribly as they treated me. If that had never happened, I would have never learned compassion for those just as unfortunate as I was, or those who were thought of as less than human because of the blood that ran through their veins. If nothing had happened to my parents, I would have never been able to defeat Voldemort."

"You didn't answer my question," Draco snapped curtly. "_What _have you gained?"

"Ginny, my children, Hermione, Abby, the Weasley's, and even you Draco," Harry replied sincerely. "I've gained a family and friends. Losing someone you love is never easy, but having others to share that loss with makes the pain seem less likely to tear you a part. Having people you love around you makes the hard realities of life seem less so."

"I understand what you're saying, Harry, really I do," Draco said. "But, I don't want my daughter to have to feel the loss of her mother, or me, or you for that matter. I don't want her to have to lead the sort of life that was thrust upon you just so some prophecy or whatever can come true."

"But you can't stop life from happening, Draco," Harry told him gently. "Abby's already lost loved ones, her grandparents. What you think of as suffering, is in, reality, simply life. You can't stop it no matter how much you might want to."

"I won't let Abigail lose Hermione," Draco said harshly. "I won't lose Hermione."

Harry felt a twinge of sympathy for Draco. "You and Abby will not lose Hermione. We'll get her back. As for Abby and what she may or may not be destined for, let me give you a bit of advice that was once given to me. It's our choices that make us the person we'll become, and it's those choices that will shape our lives and make a difference. The prophecy that led to my destiny was not something that was binding. I could have walked away, but I _chose _not too. Abby may or may not decide to walk away from what she was meant to do, but you can only cross that bridge when it comes."

"Harry," Draco said with a sigh, "you are the oddest person I know, but I see your point. I will try and stop worrying about Abigail and her future for now, but I can't say that it won't always be in the back of my mind."

Harry nodded. "I never said you should forget but for now, we have more pressing issues."

"Yes, we do," Draco said briskly. "Shall we move on now? I do believe that the few people that are out and about are starting to give us suspicious looks."

Harry looked around and noticed that there were a few people milling about and they all seemed to be looking at the two of them and Wicker. "Let's go."

As they began to walk again Draco said to Wicker, "I won't let Abigail suffer any more then she has too."

_Neither will I, _Wicker promised.


	23. Chapter 23

-1**Chapter Twenty-Three**

**Sneaking Away**

"This is so stupid," Abby huffed for the fifth time, causing Aria to roll her eyes. "Ginny only sent us in here to keep us out of the way of the adults. Sitting here is driving me insane."

Aria looked over toward the library door to make sure no adults were lingering there before saying, "So, let's leave."

"And do what?" Abby snorted. "It's not as if we know where to look or even where to begin."

Aria ignored Abby's surly tone and said, "Maybe we don't, but the spell to see auras is still working, maybe we can pick up on something?"

"How?" Abby demanded, frustrated. "We don't know what Mum's aura would look like, so how would we know we were seeing hers?"

That was a very good question, one that Aria had to think about before answering. After a few minutes, she said, "What if we look for Spooky's aura? Wicker said it was strange looking. Maybe we'll be able to pick it out from any others."

Abby was about to protest again, but she heard herself saying instead, "Okay, let's go. But wait, how are we going to get past the adults? It's not just Neville and Aunt Ginny we have to sneak, by since Uncle George and Fred are here too. Isabelle, Neville's fiancée, is due to arrive in a little while also. Plus, I heard Uncle Fred mention someone named Tonks was coming."

Both girls fell silent as they tried to think of a way past the adults that were setting up headquarters in the living room, which was across from the front door, which meant they would have to sneak by the living room entrance.

Finally Abby cried out, "Oh, there has to be something!"

Aria sighed and shook her head. "There isn't. I can't think of a single way to get past them."

Abby's frown turned fierce. "This is so frustrating. If I were back at home, I could sneak out easily. Kim never paid attention to me unless she knew Mum was due home."

"Yeah," Aria nodded. "But you aren't back at home and Kim isn't the one we have to worry about."

Suddenly Abby jumped up from the floor and said, "Wait a minute. Come on." She grabbed Aria's hand and started dragging her from the library.

"Where're we going?" Aria cried out in surprise, even though she kept up with Abby's hasty walk.

"My mum's room."

Once inside her mother's room, Abby closed the door and went directly to the closet. She started pulling boxes from the shelves until she came across a flat one that was gold and red. She exclaimed, "Ha, it's here."

"What's here?" Aria asked confused.

"Mum's cloak."

"How is Hermione's cloak going to help us sneak out?" Aria asked, her brow wrinkling further in confusion.

Abby flipped the box lid off and said, "Mum made this for her fiancé Ron when they were fighting in the war. It took her two years to get the spell just right, but in the end, she was never able to give it to him because he was killed."

Abby pulled a thin, silver material from the box. "Mum told me the story when I was seven and I've never forgotten it. She even showed me once."

"Abby," Aria moaned, "You're driving me crazy. What is it?"

Abby's answer was to pull the cloak around her lower half so that part of her torso and down vanished. Aria sucked in a breath and said, her voice full of wonder, "It's an Invisibility Cloak."

Abby grinned. "Yeah. Mum told me that the spell to create the Invisibility Cloak is very complicated and advanced magic, and that there weren't many cloaks in existence."

"Your mum's right," Aria agreed, reaching out to touch the soft material. "I can't believe she was able to make one. I read about the spell once; it's really hard and sometimes it can be dangerous. There was one wizard, can't recall his name, who attempted to make one, and he ended up making half his face invisible instead. It took the Med-Wizards at Mundango's a whole year to correct that mistake. There are only, I think, fifty in existence, so they are really rare and really hard to get."

"We can use this to get past the adults," Abby said with a grin. She flipped the cloak up over her head and vanished. From under it, she said, "It's big enough for the both of us."

Aria stepped forward and reached out a hand to feel where Abby was. "Let's go, then."

Aria slipped under the cloak and they both started walking carefully toward the bedroom door. They were halfway there when Ginny called out, "Abby, Aria, where have you two gone off to?"

Thinking quickly, Abby ripped the cloak off them, ran to the bed and stuffed it under the pillow. She shouted back, "In my mum's room, Aunt Ginny."

Ginny pushed the bedroom door open a second later. She surveyed the girls and the mess Abby had made while looking for the cloak and said suspiciously, "What are you two up to?"

Trying hard not to look guilty Abby said, "Nothing. I was just looking for mum's books on legends. I was thinking there might be something in one of them about Aduro's."

Ginny looked like she did not believe her for a minute, but then said, "All right then. All of us are going to be in the living room if you need us."

Abby rolled her eyes and said, keeping her voice light, "We know Aunt Ginny, and you've only told us the same thing about a zillion times."

Ginny smiled wryly. "I know I have, but I wanted to tell you again."

"Okay," Abby said, still trying to maintain a sweet tone.

"All right then," Ginny looked over the girls once more before saying, "Lunch will be in an hour."

Both girls nodded and Ginny was gone. Aria breathed a sigh of relief and said, "Whoa, that was close."

"Yeah," Abby agreed, relieved also. "I think we had better be really careful, even if we are under that cloak."

"Me too." Aria nodded. "Really careful."

Wicker suddenly stopped right before they reached Leo's office. His head cocked as if he were listening to something, and then he said, _We need to make this fast. Get in, find out what this Leo guy knows, and get out. _

"Why?" Draco asked, concerned. "Is something wrong?"

_Abby and Aria are going to try and sneak out, but they're having a hard time with it._ Wicker shook his head. _However, knowing those two, they'll find a way, so let's make this fast. _

"How do you know that?" Harry asked in amazement.

_Abby's thoughts can sometimes reach me, _Wicker told him. _What she's thinking is not always clear; most times it's fuzzy, like an out of tune radio. There are times, though, when she's thinking particularly hard about something that it comes across. Right now, she's trying to find a way past the adults and Aria's helping her. _

"Well, then I suggest we get in there and get out," Draco said, leading the way.

Just like the last time he came to Leo's office, he entered the building and did not bother announcing his presence. The bodyguards on the main floor barely spared him a glance, and Leo's secretary simply waved him on. Draco, with Harry and Wicker right behind him, entered the office without knocking. Leo did not even blink in surprise over the fact that Draco had come and that he had someone else and a dog in tow. Draco had a feeling that although the muscle men downstairs had not said anything to him, they had called their boss to let him know that Draco was on his way.

Leo was leaning back in his chair, his arms behind his head, looking up at the ceiling. He continued to hold that pose when he commented, "You managed to beat Carl here and for some strange reason, that does not surprise me."

"I'm not in the mood to make small talk, Leo," Draco said right away. "What do you know?"

"I may know where the man you want is calling home," Leo said casually. He leaned forward and placed his arms on the desk, folding them in front of him. "There's an abandoned warehouse on the outskirts of West Minster, and for the last month, it's been getting some strange reports."

"How so?" Draco asked.

"Street people," he began, but when Harry and Draco gave him blank looks, he clarified, "The homeless usually find places that are empty, like this warehouse, and sleep there at night. At least those that haven't been housed in shelters."

Leo waved a hand. "That's not the point. Anyhow, this warehouse, which used to be a paint supply company, was one of these places the homeless would use, except for the last month, give or take. It appears that suddenly they have a keen aversion to going anywhere near it."

"I sent a couple of men to check it out, but they haven't returned yet," Leo said with a shrug. "This is the reason I said I might have the man's hideout, but can't say for certain just yet."

Leo handed Draco a slip of paper. "Here's the address."

"Thanks," Draco said, taking the paper from him. "Is that all?"

"No, there is one other thing, but I'm not sure if it will help." Leo pulled a folder from his desk drawer and passed this to Draco also. "I had a few men check out the spot where Pearson bit the dust, and they found this hidden away behind a wall."

"They found it," Draco said skeptically with a raised eyebrow.

Leo only grinned. "Conveniently, yes. Anyhow, the file is about a project conducted by the government, some obscure branch I've not heard of. It's all there. The project has some strange name, _Os __ş__i Flesh de la Sînge._"

"What is that, French?" Draco questioned. He knew only a smattering of French.

"No," Leo shook his head. "It's Romanian. The translation is something like, Bone, Flesh of Blood or something like that. The woman I asked learned some of the language from her grandmother, but said that she could have it wrong."

Draco looked at Harry and knew he was thinking the same thing. Harry confirmed this when he said, "Hermione's letter."

"Yeah, my thoughts exactly," Draco replied. "I think this file has something to do with it all."

He looked back to Leo. "Thanks for this, Leo. I have to go; I'll catch you up some other time."

Leo was not given a chance to reply as Draco, Harry and Wicker filed from the room and were gone. Once they were all back out on the street, Draco said, "We'll go back to my place, make sure Abigail and Aria are still there, and give this file to Ginny and Neville to read over while you and I go check out this warehouse."

"Sounds good," Harry agreed. "Let's go."

Abby was frightened, but she refused to let Aria see her fear, so she kept it to herself and pretended to feel braver than she felt. Aria was, Abby believed, out of her element, but she still appeared confident, which made Abby only more determined to keep her fear to herself. She did not want her new friend thinking she was a baby.

They had managed to slip past everyone back at Draco's. There had been a moment when they had almost reached the door that had made Abby's heart leap into her throat, but Ginny had only given the spot they had been standing a strange look before shrugging it off and moving on. Another obstacle had been how to open the front door without anyone hearing it. Aria had suggested that they move back to the bedroom and let off a Belting Bomb, but just as she said it, someone knocked. Someone named Tonks was greeted and while the adults had been distracted with the new arrival, the girls had slipped out.

They had continued to wear the cloak until they made it outside, only taking it off when the ducked into a small alley to the side of the building. Abby had been about to stuff the cloak into a nice little cubby she had discovered while Aria had been scouting the street, but Aria had said it was better if they took it along.

"We might end up needing it for some reason," Aria pointed out smartly. "Put it in your backpack."

Abby carefully folded the cloak, stuffed into the bag, making sure that the other items they had decided were essential were on top, and closed the pack. She slung it over her shoulders and asked, "Should we start walking or what?"

"I think we should get on a bus or something," Aria said, though Abby thought she heard a hint of uncertainty.

"This isn't such a good idea!" Abby wailed. "We don't even know where to begin."

"Stop thinking like that," Aria commanded. Less harshly, she said, "Come on, you escaped Spooky and no one thought you could. If you can do that, we can do this."

"That was different," Abby protested. "I was taken and had to escape. I didn't know what the stupid man wanted to do to me."

"Maybe this is different," Aria agreed, but she remained stubborn. "But even if it is, we can still do this. Come on, hasn't your mother ever told you all the stories about what she and Harry went through while they attended Hogwarts?"

Abby cocked her head and frowned. "What are you talking about?"

Aria rolled her eyes. "Harry, your mum, and Ron Weasley had so many adventures when they were in school. It's in a book, I'm surprised you've never read it."

"What book?" Abby asked doubtfully.

"Well…" Aria put a finger to her mouth and tapped. "There's a mention of some of the stuff they did in the revised edition of 'Hogwarts: A History.' There's also a book called 'Harry Potter: His Life in a Nutshell.' Then there's another book called 'Loyalty: Harry Potter's Friends.' There's also-"

"Okay stop!" Abby nearly shouted. "I get it. I've never read any of those books. Mum probably didn't want me to know about the things she did when she was kid. She already says that I can find adventure faster then a Snitch can fly away, so she was probably afraid that reading those books would put ideas into my head."

"I have copies of all of them and more," Aria told her. "I'll loan them to you."

Abby nodded, but changed the subject. "Okay, listen. We could either catch a bus or a cab, but I think we should take the train: it's faster and cheaper."

"Great idea," Aria replied, brightening up. Her face fell a little when she asked, "How do we take the train?"

"Haven't you ever been out in the Muggle world?" Abby asked with a sigh.

"Not really," Aria shrugged. "Mum thinks Muggles are dangerous."

"Does she still hate Muggles and non-purebloods?"

"What?" Aria cried in horror. "No. No, she doesn't hate anyone. She just thinks that Muggles are odd because of the things they invent that replace magic."

"Okay," Abby said hurriedly. "I didn't mean to offend you. I was only asking."

"Okay," Aria said stiffly. A second later she beamed when she said, "Mum's afraid a Muggle will run me over with one of their flying machines."

"A flying…" Abby started laughing. "An airplane couldn't run you over. A car could, but not an airplane."

"Mum's not all that knowledgeable when it comes to Muggles," Aria admitted. "Anyhow, let's forget about my mother and let's find yours. What do we have to do to get a train?"

"Find a train station," Abby muttered. "Let's walk for a little bit, and if we don't catch sight of train station than we'll ask someone where the closest depot is."

They started walking, keeping a close eye out for anyone they knew, until they were safely away from Draco's building.

Abby suddenly groaned, causing Aria to ask, "What's the matter?"

"I'm a complete scatter brain," Abby moaned. "We'll need money to get on the train and I only have two dollars on me."

Aria smiled. "I have money."

"Wizard galleons are not going to get us far in the Muggle world," Abby pointed out tiredly.

"It's Muggle money," Aria informed Abby. "Draco gives it to me. I, um, collect it."

Abby's eyes widened and she said slowly, "You, er, collect Muggle money?"

Aria sighed. "I know it's strange but I like it. It looks funny and, well, I like it. Whenever I come over to Draco's, I always bring some with me because I'm always hoping he'll take me somewhere. He never does though. Well he takes me places, but it's to Diagon Alley or Hogsmeade."

"Why don't you just ask him to take you somewhere else?" Abby asked. In the next breath she said, "Never mind. How much money do you have?"

Aria reached into the pocket of her jeans and said, "Here."

She pulled out crumbled up bills which Abby took and began sorting and straightening. When she was done, she looked over at Aria with an odd expression, prompting Aria to say, "What?"

"Please, please," Abby begged, "don't ever carry this much with you ever again. You could be mugged and hurt for this much. Actually, some people would mug you for less than this, so please promise me never to carry this much with you, ever again."

"How much is there?" Aria asked.

"Um," Abby calculated the Muggle money into wizards and said, "Over 100 Galleons."

Aria's eyes widened, "Oh my."

"Yeah, my sentiments exactly." Abby split the money and handed half back to Aria. "I'll give it all back to, at least the portion we don't use, but I think it would be wise to split it, just in case."

"In case of what?" Aria wanted to know. She took the money and shoved it back in her pocket.

"I don't know," Abby said, waving a hand. "In case we get separated or…or, whatever."

Aria shrugged and said in an offhand sort of way, "Well, if we get separated, I'll just have to stand where I am and wait for you to find me, because otherwise I'll end getting lost."

Abby laughed. "It was just an example. I won't lose you and you won't lose me. We'll stick close together just for that reason. Oh, and I don't think you would get lost. You're smart and would find a way back to Draco's or your home."

Aria shrugged, though her cheeks turned slightly pink from the compliment. Just then, Abby stopped and frowned. Aria sighed and asked dreadfully, "What now?"

"We've come a few blocks and I don't see a train anywhere," Abby explained. "I think we should ask for directions."

"Okay." Aria looked around and said, "What about that man?"

Abby shook her head. "No, we better find someplace where we can go in and ask. Asking strangers on the street is not a good idea."

"What about that place?"

Abby looked to where Aria was pointing. A small shop was across the street, the sign above the door read, Toffee Pub. Below that was another sign that said: 'Coffee, Tea, and Pastries for every craving. Come on in and have a nice chat or read a book and relax_.' _

Abby snatched Aria's hand and led her across the street to the Toffee Pub. The bell above the door jangled merrily when they entered. A wispy looking girl was behind the counter, blowing gum in a bored sort of way. The only other person in the place was a man in the back, who was hunched over a book. Abby could not see the man's face, but she did not think he was Spooky since his aura was perfectly normal looking, as far as she could tell.

Abby went to the girl at the counter and asked, "We're new to town and I was hoping you could give us directions to the underground trains?"

The girl snapped her gum, eyeing Abby and Aria. Abby was beginning to think she was not going to answer, but she finally said, "How old are you two?"

Abby thought quickly and decided to lie. "I'm twelve and my sister is thirteen."

The girl looked doubtful. "You're both awfully small."

"So is our mother," Abby said, trying to sound casual. "We get it from her."

"Are you su-?

Aria stepped up next to Abby and but the girl off. "Look, can you tell us where the station is or not?"

"Sure I can," the girl snapped. "No need to get hostile. The underground station is four blocks that way and three blocks to the left."

Abby looked out the side window toward where the girl pointed. They were going to have to backtrack a few blocks. She thanked the girl and pulled Aria from the shop. Once they were back outside, Abby said, "I don't think she believed us about being twelve and thirteen."

Aria actually laughed. "I don't blame her. Look at us; we don't even look nine and ten."

Abby had to agree since most of the time, strangers took her for a seven year old. She once had one elderly lady think she was five. Abby frowned. "Being short is a pain."

"It sure is," Aria agreed. "But we aren't short we're petite."

Abby giggled. "I like the way that sounds better."

Aria grinned. "Me too."

"Okay, let's get going," Abby said after anther minute of laughing. "I don't like the way some of these people are watching us."

Aria linked arms with Abby and they set off the way they had come.


	24. Chapter 24

-1**Chapter Twenty-Four**

**Are Ye Lost**

Abby was beginning to think their impulsive, unplanned decision to leave the safety of the penthouse was not such a good idea. They had come to the underground station for the trains without any trouble. Boarding the train had been a little harder, since once again, their small statue had come into question. The ticket master had eyed them suspiciously until Abby had told him they were meeting their parents at the next stop. Even that had not stopped the man's obvious concern, but he had finally given them their tickets and let them escape his watchful gaze.

So far, they had been lucky, but for reasons Abby could not fully explain, she felt as if their luck was about to run its course and trouble was going to fall flat against their heads. The odd feeling was settling itself into her stomach, making her nervous and queasy. She rubbed her belly, trying to force the muscles there to relax for fear she would be sick if she continued to remain so tense.

They were pressed into the corner seat, in the back of the train car, trying to keep out of the other passengers way and inconspicuous. They also wanted to keep as far away from the less savory passengers. Aria was a problem though, with her constant staring and muttered questions. A few of the nearby passengers had already given them strange looks, and Abby knew that if Aria did not gain control over of herself, there was going to be more than trouble.

Abby had, however, already muttered this warning to Aria four different times only to be meant with silence, since it seemed Aria was too awe struck by everything she was seeing to reply. Aria's wide-eyed curiosity was not going unnoticed, which was going to land them in a world of trouble, but Abby could not think of what to do to stop Aria's unabashed wonder.

Abby tried, at one point, to see the things Aria was seeing as if she were seeing it all for the first time as well, but it was all so familiar to her that she had stopped trying. Once more, Abby leaned close to Aria's ear and said, "If you don't stop acting like a witch, there's going to be trouble."

Abby had expected to be meant with silence again but this time Aria nodded and whispered back, "Sorry, it's just all so interesting."

Aria averted her gaze from the dumpy, frail old man she had been watching and turned to Abby. "I never knew the Muggle world was…so different. It's all rather odd."

"Yes, I suppose," Abby said, trying to understand how Aria was feeling. "Even so, you have to stop acting as if you've never been on a train. People are already starting to stare at us."

Aria sighed slightly and tore her eyes away from a young looking man with a ring in his nose. She asked, "Where do you think we should get off?"

"The very next stop," Abby told her with relief. "We can't keep riding the train and if we don't get off soon, we'll be back where we started."

'Oh," Aria said, sounding intrigued. "You mean the trains circle around?"

Rather than explain it all, Abby said, "Sort of. We also have no idea where we're going or how we're going to find Mum and Spooky. I think it's best if we get off and walk for a while."

"Okay," Aria agreed amenably. Then she confessed, "It's all a little scary, really. Don't you think so as well?"

Abby was relieved to know her friend shared some of her fear. "Yes, I feel the same."

"It's also really exciting as well," Aria went on to say. "After all, it's our first real adventure."

Abby narrowed her eyes and asked apprehensively, "Our first adventure?"

"Of course," Aria said with a little nod. "This is only the beginning, don't you think? I think you and I are going to be great friends and have lots of adventures together."

Abby liked the part about being great friends, but the adventure part she was a little iffy about. It was not that she was not someone who wanted to hide away, but she was not sure she wanted to place herself in danger on a daily basis either.

Aria was saying, "I'm sure we can have plenty of adventures once we start attending Hogwarts. I hear that the castle is great for that."

Abby decided to put a halt on the plans Aria was creating for the moment and said, "I'm sure Hogwarts will be great fun for us when we go, but for now I think we should concentrate on living through this first."

"You're right." Aria nodded her head and smiled as she said, "We'll make those plans later."

The motion of the train began to change just then, and Abby realized that it was pulling into the next station. She stood up, pulling Aria with her and got ready to exit the train. A few other passengers were also gathering their things, checking to be sure they had everything. Since Abby was carrying the bag over her shoulder, she did not bother checking to be sure she had everything. Instead, as the train slowed further, she pulled Abby along toward the door, itching to be free from the car's confines.

When the train came to a complete stop and the doors slid open, Aria and Abby exited quickly. With Abby leading the way they made their way to a corner of the station and stopped. Abby reached around and pulled the map of the area out of the bag. They had bought the map before getting on the train since neither one of them knew the area.

Aria helped her unfold it and they both perused it together. Of course, Aria was hopelessly lost when it came to reading the lines and markings on the paper, so it was left to Abby to figure out where they were and where to go next.

"Where are we?" Aria asked, looking at the map in confusion.

Abby's face was set in a scowl of concentration as she said, "I think we're near the waterfront, but I'm not sure. Give me a moment to read this thing and I'll tell you for sure."

A craggy old voice said, "Are ye lost?"

As one, the girls turned around to see who had asked the question. A few feet away stood a stooped over, skinny old woman. She was wearing a tattered, dirty old coat which reached her knees, a pair of baggy pants and work boots that looked as if they were three sizes too big for her feet. Her hair, which was matted and greasy, might have been black or brown, but it was hard to tell beneath all the dirt. The old woman's face was sallow, shrunken and wrinkled, giving her the appearance of a scarecrow. Her dark brown eyes were watery and red. The stench wafting in Abby's direction was coming from the woman as well and Abby wrinkled her nose.

She said, trying to breath through her mouth, "No, we're not lost."

The old woman cackled oddly and said, "I be t'inking ye are or there'd be no nee' of da' map ye be 'oldng."

Aria, unmindful of the danger, took a step forward only to drop back once she got a whiff of the old woman. Tactlessly she said, "You smell awful!" Aria waved a hand in front of her face, attempting to get rid of the smell.

She cackled again. "'Eeps da riff 'aff 'way."

"You talk oddly as well," Aria pointed out.

"Do me?" the old woman grinned leeringly. ""P'haps dat be 'cause me di'nt get me no p'oper schoolin'."

Abby knew she had to take control before Aria said something more offending. She said, her voice oddly steady, "We aren't lost. We're knew to the area and wanted to make sure we were in the right part of town, that's all."

The old woman was shaking her head before Abby was even through speaking. "Ye can't pull da wool o'er me eyes, girlie. Me knows a c'ople of lost girlies whens me see 'dem."

"Look," Abby insisted. "We aren't lost. I consulted the map and we know perfectly well where we are, so if you don't mind, we'll be on our way."

"Buts me do min'," the old woman barked, suddenly full of anger. "Ye two pretties ain't go'en no 'here, but wid me."

Aria scoffed, "You can't stop us from leaving, and you most certainly cannot force us to go with you."

"But me can," the old woman insisted, her insane smile growing larger so that her rotted yellow teeth showed. "Ye can sc'rem iffen ye like buts ain't no one down 'ere gonna 'are."

Abby grabbed a handful of Aria's shirt and started backing away. As she walked backwards she said, "I don't think my sister and I have anything you would want, so we'll just be on our way."

Smacking her lips together as if Abby and Aria were a delectable meal, she said, "Ye may not 'ave any'ting I be wanten, but 'Tice be payin me a nice 'l'tle sum 'or da likes of ye two."

Just then, Abby felt her back press into something hard; she had backed herself and Aria right into a wall. She looked around frantically for someone to help or a way out of the situation, but saw no one and could not come up with a plan of escape.

With a wicked grin the old woman asked, "Whatcha' ye gonna do now girlie?"

Draco opened the penthouse door to hear Ginny's raised voice. He looked back at Harry who shrugged his shoulders and motioned for Draco to continue inside. The two of them had just made it to the living room entrance when they heard Fred's retort to Ginny.

""I'm telling you, I charmed the damn door."

Draco paused just inside the living room. His eyes darted from Fred, who was pale to Ginny, who was looking as red as her hair. Her face was contorted into a mask of anger and her fists were balled up at her waist. Draco got the distinct impression that Ginny was barely restraining herself from popping her brother in the nose.

She shouted, "You're an idiot, Fred! Obviously you couldn't have charmed to door or else they would still be there, now wouldn't they? Since they aren't there, they must have snuck out, which means there's no way you put a locking charm on the door."

"They had to have slipped out of the room before I placed the charm," Fred said logically. "Then they must have snuck out when Tonks arrived."

"Is that what you think?" Ginny asked sardonically. "Don't you think Tonks or I would have noticed two little girls trying to sneak out the door?"

"I'm not sure you would have noticed anything at the time," Fred snapped belligerently. "You were so busy hugging Tonks."

"Oh, don't you even try placing the blame for this at my feet!" Ginny barked right back, sounding so very much like Mrs. Weasley that Fred actually winced. "Those two would still be here if you had remained watchful."

"Maybe they have an invisibility cloak," George, Fred's twin suggested though he did not believe his suggestion. He only mentioned it because he was feeling sorry for his brother.

"I suppose," Ginny remarked snidely, rounding on the look-a-like, "that the girls just happened to have one lying about? Don't be so obtuse, George."

At this point, Draco decided it was in everyone's best interest to intervene. He cleared his throat and said, "Does someone care to tell Harry and me what is going on?"

Everyone in the room turned to look in their direction. It was amazing how quickly Ginny had been able to gather the forces. When he had left with Harry, only Ginny and Neville had remained behind. Now it appeared as if the entire Weasley family was present. Besides Fred and George, there were Bill and Charlie as well as Percy and his wife Veronica. Neville's fiancée, Isabelle, was also there, though she was the only one who appeared serene.

Draco turned to Ginny and asked again, "What's going on?"

Her tone as sharp as nails, she replied, "Abby and Aria managed to sneak out because my brother is a complete dunder head."

"I object," Fred protested loudly. "I am not the only one here. There are several other people in this room besides me."

"Yes," Ginny growled, once more turning an evil eye on her brother. "However, I didn't ask any of them to keep an eye on the girls, I asked you."

"I've told you already, I did charm the stupid door," Fred said angrily.

"Well you didn't do a very good job at it," Ginny snapped. She looked back to Draco. "Fred seems to think the girls turned invisible and-"

"I never said they turned invisible," Fred argued, looking disgusted with his sister. "I, actually, George suggested, that they might have had a -"

"…invisibility cloak," Ginny finished scathingly. "Since we know for certain that there's no way they could have had one of those, I think you should stop talking now."

Harry made a sound, almost as if he was choking and they all looked at him. He said, "If Abby knew about Hermione's cloak, it could be possible that they used it to - er - escape."

Ginny tossed a nasty look toward the twins as she said, "Then I suppose it's possible that the dimwits could be onto something."

Fred and George both made to say something, but Bill said, "Let it go. She's got that same talent Mum has for making you feel as tall as a house-elf."

The twin's mouths snapped shout, but they continued to glare at Ginny. She ignored them and said to Draco and Harry, "They couldn't have gotten far. We have to look for them before they land their little behinds in danger."

Draco nodded once, concealing his anger and worry as he said, "We'll find them, Ginny." To Wicker he said, "Can you sense Abby?"

_Yes,_ Wicker replied. _Very faintly though. She's scared and her thoughts are jumbled._

"Scared?" Draco repeated, his heart skipping a beat. "What of?"

_I'm not sure,_ Wicker said almost as if sighing. _We should hurry._

Draco agreed and said, "We'll go in just a second. Harry, I'll take Wicker with me to retrieve my sister and daughter. While I'm gone, fill the others in on what Leo has told us. I'll be back in no time."

Draco was gone before any one could register what he had said. After he was gone, however, a few of the people in the room looked around thunderstruck as what Draco said finally clicked in their brains. When Harry looked back at the group of people in the room it was to see over half of them looking at him in shock. Wondering what had caused their expressions he asked, "What?"

George, whose mouth had fallen open, closed it only to open it again a second later to say, "Did I hear Draco correctly, Abby is his daughter?"

Ginny snickered softly. Harry shot her a bland look before saying, "Yes, she's his daughter."

Neville, who looked less surprised then the others remarked, "I've always wondered about that. Abby does bare a remarkable resemblance to Draco, after all."

Fred looked around at Neville and shook his head. "You're mental, Neville. All you have to do is look at Abby and see how beautiful she's going to be. Draco was never all that great looking and age hasn't improved his looks all that -"

"Fat lot you think you know," Ginny interrupted.

All eyes turned to her. Harry's narrowed and he asked, "What does that mean?"

"Draco's far from ugly," Ginny said casually with a half shrug. "I wouldn't say he's the most handsome man on the market, but he's not ugly. There were plenty of girls at Hogwarts who had a crush on him at one time or another. It's just that he was so often nasty to so many people that no one could see past that part of him."

His voice hard, Harry asked, "Do you mean to tell me that you think Draco is, um, cute?"

Ginny grinned wickedly at her husband's blatant jealousy, but said, "Not at all, Harry, dear. I'm just saying that not every girl thought he was ugly."

"Really?" Harry asked, not entirely sure he believed her.

She walked over to him and wrapped her arms around his waist. Looking up into his face she said, "I, however, found myself leaning toward a boy with dark hair, green eyes and glasses."

Mollified just a little, Harry hugged his wife and asked, "So what you're saying is that you found me much more handsome than Draco?"

Still teasing him, she shook her head. "No, that's not what I'm saying."

Confused, Harry said, "Huh?"

"Remember that boy, his name was Mark, he was in Ravenclaw," Ginny replied, her eyes alight with a mischievous gleam. "He had dark hair, green eyes and - Agh."

Harry had tickled her just below the ribs and she leaned into him further and giggled. She said, "Okay, okay, it was you, happy now?"

Harry bent his head down and brushed his lips across his wife's. He murmured, "I am."

He deepened the kiss, momentarily forgetting that they had a room full of spectators or that Hermione was missing. When he broke away he muttered lovingly, "I love you."

She whispered back, her voice husky with affection, "I love you as well."

"Ugh," George groaned. "Do you two have to be so damn mushy?"

Ginny tilted away from Harry to peer at her brother. "I could get even mushier, so shut your pie hole."

George mimed locking his mouth and tossing away the key. Ginny smiled in approval and said, "Better."

Fred, also slightly disgusted with their display of affection but also warmed by it, though he would never admit that part, said, "What is it that Draco wanted you to fill us in on, Harry?"

Harry's expression hardened once more and he said, "Leo, Draco's contact, thinks he might have located Justice's hide-out."

He told them everything Leo had said and finished with, "He also discovered this file. The name is in Romanian, but it roughly translates into Blood of Flesh and Bone or something like that."

"What's in the file?" Isabelle asked, speaking for the first time.

Harry shook his head. "I haven't a clue. We didn't take the time to look at it, but came straight back here. Wicker had a feeling Abby and Aria were going to try something, so we came back as quickly as we could. Looks like we were a tad late though to stop them, though."

"You think?" Fred mumbled, but snapped his mouth closed when his sister glared at him.

"Why don't we take a look at it now?" Neville suggested.

Harry agreed and began passing out sheets of parchment from the thick folder.

Abby did not scream as she meant to. The sound of low growling caught her attention and she looked around for the source. Her stomach did flips of relief at the sight of Wicker, his hair standing on end as he inched his way toward the old woman, who had yet to notice his arrival. A moment later her attention was caught by the man standing behind Wicker and her relief turned once more into dread, but for an altogether different reason.

Draco looked forbidding, his face a mask of hard lines and sharp edges. He looked like one of the mythological Greek gods she had once read about. Abby would have run screaming from him as well if she had not known him. However, she did know him and though she was sure she and Aria were in a world of trouble, he was the lesser evil at the moment.

Aria, who had not yet noticed Wicker or her brother said crisply, "What?" when Abby nudged her.

Abby said, "Look," and with a slight nod of her head indicted Draco and Wicker. 

Abby's motion alerted the old woman and she spun around to see who or what was behind her. One look from Wicker to Draco had the old woman running in the opposite direction. Her abrupt departure would have been funny if it were not for Draco's continued look of anger, which was now directed at Abby and Aria.

Aria actually stepped forward, intending to run at Draco, but one look at his face had her halting in place. Hesitantly, she said, "Hello, Draco."

Draco remained silent, trying hard to gain some control over his boiling anger. He did not want to say something he would later regret, so he started to count. He counted to ten but when he still felt the rage wanting to boil over he counted to twenty. He went past twenty to thirty and was on his way to forty when he could no longer contain his emotion.

He blasted them with, "What the hell were the two of you thinking?" Both girls cringed and took a step back. Draco only moved forward once again pinning the girls up against a wall. He roared, "Do either of you realize that danger you put yourselves in? Don't you think that we all have enough to worry about without adding you two to the list? Damn it!"

He yanked a hand through his hair in frustrated relief and anger. "Both of you could have been robbed, kidnapped, seriously hurt or even worse, killed. I expected better from both of you. I thought you both understood the danger and were smart enough to follow orders. Justice, this man you call Spooky, is not someone to trifle with and I believed you both understood that, but I was wrong."

Aria looked crestfallen; Abby looked defiant. She said, "I do understand, _father_, but Spooky has my Mum and I won't just wait for the _adults _to make things right. I may only be nine years old, but I am not a baby."

Draco was so shocked over her use of the word father that for a moment he could not reply. Then he said, not as loud, "I know you aren't a baby, Abby. Neither is Aria, but we can't be chasing after you two while Hermione's missing, don't you understand that?"

Reluctantly Abby nodded. "Yes, but I don't want to sit on the sidelines." She mimicked his action of pulling a hand through his hair. "I can't sit there and wait like some stupid little girl."

Aria must have regained some of her courage after hearing Abby's defiance because she said, "I won't sit there like a stump either, Draco. I want to help. We both want to help."

Abby nodded her head in agreement, and added, "Yes, that's right and if all of you don't let us, we'll find another way to help, even if we have to sneak out to do it."

Draco wanted to shout in frustration. How the hell had Hermione raised Abby to this point without the girl getting seriously injured or killed? Draco stared at his daughter and sister for a moment, studying their identical looks of guilt, anger, sorrow and defiance. What was he going to do? He could put them behind locked doors and charms of protection, but he got the feeling that, somehow, they would still find a way out. They were only ten and nine, but neither girl was stupid; in fact, he was starting to think that they were too damn smart for their own good.

Finally he said, "Okay, fine, you can help, but if any of us tell you to do something, you have to both promise to follow orders without hesitation. It's not that we think you're babies, it's that we want to keep you safe."

Abby considered him a moment, as did Aria. At last Abby nodded and agreed, saying, "Fine, we'll follow orders."

"Yes, we'll make sure we listen to everything we're told," Aria offered.

Draco sighed, wondering how in the hell he had ended up with such a stubborn, determined daughter and sister. Mentally shaking his head he said, "Okay, let's get back to the penthouse. The others are probably worried sick about the two of you."

As the three of them made their way up out of the underground station, Aria said, "We didn't mean to cause any trouble, Draco. We only want to help, really."

"I know that, Aria," Draco said softly as he looked down at his sister's smooth innocent face and than Abby's. "Next time though, try not to give anyone a heart attack."

Recalling that she had once told Draco that he was going to die of that very thing if he did not change his ways, Abby smiled warily up at him but said nothing.

Draco was suddenly struck with how much he really loved the two girls in his life. He had bonded with Aria almost from the instant she was born and now that bond was stronger than ever. As for Abby, he had tried hard not to let her into his heart, but she had weaseled her way in anyhow and was now permanently attached there. If anything ever happened to either one of them, Draco would not only be devastated; he would have exact revenge on whoever hurt them.

Draco could only hope that Abby, Aria and Hermione came through this alive, because otherwise, Justice was going to be wishing he had killed Draco first, before going after those he loved.

Hermione moaned, her throat hurting from all the screaming she had done. Justice was gone now, however, and the pain Justice had caused her was fading. Her mind was muddled, cloudy, and she could not form a single clear thought. The only thing that occupied her mind was escape, but escape seemed impossible. Her strength was minimal and her brain fuzzy.

The only thing that held her from crumbling and allowing sweet darkness to envelope her were images of Abby, her friends, Harry, Ginny and the rest of the Weasleys. But what held her most to the life she was clinging to was her daughter and her father.

Draco had to know the truth. She had to find a way to tell him the truth. Not about Justice, at the moment; her tormentor was far from her thoughts. No, Draco had to know the truth about how she felt. She could not die without letting him know that she still loved him, that she wanted nothing more than to marry him and spend the rest of her life with him. However, if she wanted to confess her heart to him, if she wanted to tell him the miracle she was keeping to her self, she had to live, she had to stay focused and she had to find a way to free herself from Justice's clutches.

She was losing focus though, her mind so hazy that she was not even sure she was awake. She thought she saw Ron beckoning her to join him and her heart ached at the sight of him. Her first love was there, asking her to join him and be with him forever. He was promising peace, freedom from the pain and hurt she was going through. She wanted to go to him, to free from it all. She smiled at him and he smiled back.

She lost her grip on the iron shackles wrapped about her wrists and the pain that shot up her arm brought her around. Ron was gone and she was back inside the dark, cold room Justice had dragged her into so that she could be strung up by her wrists and tortured.

The thought of Justice made her frown. There was something about him that she had to remember so she could tell Draco when she saw him, but what? Hermione shook her head, trying to clear it, so she could think. Something was there, just out of her grasp, but she could not reach far enough to retrieve it. Frustrated, she let out a little scream that quickly changed into a groan when her throat protested against the sound.

Her entire body ached, though it was not on fire as it had been while Justice had tortured her and there had been so much pain. The piercing pain was gone but the aching pain she felt now was almost as bad. The ache was far spread, reaching every muscle, every joint, right down to the core of her bones. It made tears come to her eyes as it throbbed and ebbed, like the waves of the ocean she had taken Abby to a few years ago. It made it difficult to concentrate, to think or even to breathe.

Hermione's breathing was harsh and shallow; she could hear it coming from her in small gasp even as her heart beat to the rhythm of her pain. She tried to deepen her breathing, remembering reading once, that when someone was on pain, they often forgot to breathe deeply and that in doing so, it could cause the pain to feel even worse. It seemed true now that she was experiencing it firsthand. Breathing deeply was almost impossible because her muddled brain refused to let her forget her body's aching.

She pulled on her the shackles, hoping the new pain that came from doing so would clear her mind and let her temporarily forget the rest of her body. It did, but only for a moment since the shooting pain from the wrists lasted only seconds. She wanted to yell, to shout, to scream but to do so would possibly bring the tormentor back and cause her throat to hurt more than it was already. She had enough pain that she did not want to add to it by hurting herself more.

Even as this thought entered her head, she started to lose consciousness once again. This time, she let the darkness blissfully fall over her.

Harry sighed heavily and tossed the papers he had been holding onto the stand in front of him. He said, to no one in general, "I don't see anything in this damn file that will help us."

Bill followed Harry's example and tossed the paper he had been examining on top of Harry's pile. "Neither can I. It's all a bunch of gibberish to me. In fact, it might as well be written in goblin because I don't understand any of it."

Everyone else looked up from their reading, though no one else threw the papers aside. Ginny, her face scrunched in thought said, "It's written in some weird code, at least that's my perspective on what's here. No names are mentioned, nothing is referred to by name and…" She trailed off and shook her head before saying, "Its gibberish, just as Bill mentioned."

Percy's wife, Veronica, sighed lightly. "I wonder where Draco is with the girls."

As if on cue, the front door was heard opening. A second later, it closed and another moment after that Abby and Aria came into the room followed by Wicker and then Draco.

Harry asked, "Where were they?"

Abby scowled at him and said, "We're right here, Uncle Harry, you can ask us."

Harry had long ago stopped becoming surprised at Abby's bluntness. He simply smiled politely and said, "Fine, where did Draco find you and Aria?"

"At the train depot," Abby huffed before plopping down in an armchair where Aria quickly joined her.

The chair was big enough so that each girl could sit comfortably, even if pushed up one another slightly. Wicker went over and sat down in his hunches beside the chair. He gave Harry an odd look, but when he heard nothing from the dog he guessed correctly in assuming that the spell to hear the dog talk had worn off. He should have realized it sooner since the spell for seeing aura's had also evaporated.

Harry looked away from Wicker and to Draco. "Any trouble along the way?"

Draco shook his head and sat down on the arm of the sofa across from Harry, next to Isabelle and Neville. "When I found them, some old street woman was trying to get at them, but she ran off when she spotted me and Wicker. Of course, one look at Wicker would make anyone take off so I didn't expect any trouble in that arena. My only concern was getting the two of them back here without anything happening but nothing did."

"Did you think something would?" Charlie asked casually though there was an underlining worry to his tone.

Draco shrugged. "I thought there was a possibility of Justice popping up from somewhere, but he didn't, so here we are." He rubbed a hand over his jaw tiredly and asked, "Find anything of interest in that file Leo gave us?"

Harry shook his head. "No. It's written in the same cryptic code the file Isabelle found at the Ministry. None of us can make heads or tails of the damn thing."

Draco nodded almost as if he had expected as much. He turned to Harry and said, "I was thinking, what if we use the same spell to find Hermione that we did when we were looking for Abby?"

Harry said sadly, "I tried it already; something's blocking the view, so to speak."

Again Draco seemed to expect that answer. He said, "I figured as much. Justice isn't stupid, just crazy. He probably has few hundred spells protecting his hideout."

"I think it's more than that," Isabelle said quietly from her place next to Neville. Draco looked down at her as she addressed the room of people. "From what I can gather from this file, I think Justice and Hermione are somehow linked."

"What do you mean, 'linked'?" Veronica asked frowning.

Percy said, "Using the word 'linked', makes it sound as if you believe Hermione is - er - related to this madman in some way."

"That's crazy," Ginny replied. "Hermione's an only child, Percy. There's no way Hermione and Justice are relatives."

Isabelle opened her mouth to explain what she meant only to be stopped from saying anything by George. "I agree with Percy about the term 'linked', but Ginny has a point too. Unless Hermione's kept a huge secret all this time about having no other living relatives, Justice can't be related."

Again, Isabelle went to talk but this time Draco cut her off. "What do you mean by saying she has no living relatives?"

Harry answered, "Other than Abby, Hermione doesn't have anyone, family-wise I mean. Her parents were both only children and since Hermione was also an only child, after they died, there was no one else left."

"I thought Hermione had a second cousin or something like that living in Brazil," Draco remarked, his expression slightly confused.

"Where did you get that notion?" Ginny wondered aloud.

"I may be mistaken," Draco said, "but I asked Hermione about her family once and I swear she mentioned something about a second cousin once removed living in Brazil."

Harry waved a hand dismissively and said, "Even if that is the case, it doesn't help us since Hermione's the only witch in her family. She is Muggle-born, in case anyone has forgotten."

"Well, you have to admit it is an easy thing to forget when it comes to Hermione," Fred said and shrugged. "She so often seems to know more about the magical world than we do that it's easy to forget she came from a Muggle family."

"That's true," Bill spoke up. "I didn't think she had Muggle parents upon first meeting her. She's so knowledgeable about everything, after all."

"Listen," Draco said into the silence that came after Bill's comments. "We're getting off track. We need to figure out a way to find Hermione and fast. Justice was not set on only kidnapping Hermione as he was doing with Abby. The man's crazy and wants Hermione dead. We have to get to her before Justice has a chance to do that."

The idea that Hermione might already be lost to them was something no one wanted to say out loud. It was not mentioned because no one in the room wanted to believe in the possibility that Hermione, someone they all loved and respected, could very well be dead.

Neville broke the second silence by saying, "If you are all done, Isabelle still has something to tell you."

Draco looked up in surprise and then said, "Damn, I'm sorry. We completely went off track there, didn't we? Go ahead Isabelle, what is it that makes you think Hermione and Justice are linked, as you say?"

Isabelle looked at each person, checking if they had anything else to add before she said, "I think that the Blood of Flesh and Bone refers to the fact that whoever this Justice guy is, he's somehow linked to Hermione through those three things."

"I'm lost," Fred moaned.

"That's not surprising, considering," Ginny remarked blandly. She added, "However, since I'm also at a loss of what you mean, Isabelle, so I won't badger Fred on his lack of brains. Could you please explain what you mean by what you said?"

"Sure, I can try," Isabelle replied in her usual soft tone. "Somehow, and this is what I can't explain, Hermione and Justice are connected through blood, flesh and bone. I think that this file is referencing something the Ministry experimented with." When she saw Percy's sharp look, she amended and said, "Or possibly an experiment they halted that someone else was working on illegally. Only, I can't tell you what that experiment might have been or why Hermione was a part of it."

"Hermione was never apart of anything," Harry said harshly. He softened his tone when he said, "Sorry, Isabelle, I didn't mean for that to sound directed at you. Only, I know that Hermione would never experiment with magic unless it was under the strict guidelines the Ministry allowed. She's a stickler for the rules, and only broke them at times when the rules, er, suppressed others."

Ginny grinned since she knew Harry was thinking back to his fifth year when they had all been a part of the small group, calling themselves Dumbledore's Army. She reached over and placed a hand on Harry's leg, showing him without having to say a word that she was there for him. She knew that though he loved her, there was always going to be a special place in his heart for Hermione, his best friend. His larger hand came over and covered her smaller, paler hand. He squeezed slightly, communicating silently as they could, that he understood and loved her all the more for her accepting understanding.

Draco was talking, "I'm with Harry on this one. I can't really picture Hermione being a part in something outside the laws. I also can't imagine her as working along side the Ministry. She disdains the entire magical government, at least that's the impression I get every time the Ministry is mentioned."

There were murmurs of agreement and a few nods. George remarked, soft laughter lacing his tone, "Hermione's had issue with the Ministry ever since that time they tried to make out like Harry was off his rocker."

Neville added, "Well, they should have taken Harry's word that Voldemort was back."

Draco looked around the room as others spoke up and reminisced about the past. He could have had all this, the friends, the easy comrade among them all but his life had led him differently until his last year at Hogwarts. He wanted to have what they all had with each other. He wanted friends, memories of good times and he wanted to experience the love they all had for one another.

It hit him, then, he was on his way to having all that just by being there with them all. The only thing that was missing was Hermione. His expression hardened. He would get her back and he would convince her to marry him. As a bonus, he would destroy the man calling himself Justice.

A waving hand in front of his face recalled him to the present. He said, "Did I miss something?" 

"Harry was saying that he thinks a few of us should have a go at your library, that there might be something in one of the books that can possibly help us," Ginny explained, thankfully not mentioning his lack of attention. "A few of us will continue to look over this file, while I take Abby and Aria with me to make a light dinner."

Draco frowned and looked at the clock hanging above the fireplace. It was almost seven in the evening. Where had the day gone? He nodded and said, "Fine. I think I'll make a few inquiries so if you need me I'll be in my office." He said to everyone else, "Please, make yourselves at home."

He walked out, leaving a few looking at him as they adjusted their old notions on the man they had all once despised.

"What do you mean you lost her?" Justice barked madly.

"Are ye deaf?" the old woman asked sharply, having no patience for the man hiding under the hood of the cloak. "Der' came a man wit' a big ole dog. I ain't stikin a'ound and get'in meself in tr'oble."

"I hired you to bring me that girl," Justice snarled.

"Yea, did, I be a'mittin dat," the woman agreed. "Buts iffin ye be t'inkin ye be get'in ye money back, ye can fo'get it. I done spent dat money."

"You stupid, filthy old hag," Justice spat at her. "I don't care about the damn money. I want the girl."

She shrugged but said noting. Justice was thinking. At last he said, "Go back to where they're staying. Abby's stubborn enough so that she'll sneak out again. When she does, make sure you get her."

"W'at a'out da oder girlie," she asked slapping her lips together as she spoke.

"I don't care about the other girl," Justice growled. "You can do what you want with her."

"I knows me a man, he pays a han'some 'mount for girlies," she said, her voice hopeful.

In disgust, Justice said, "Fine, sell the other girl to this man, but bring me Abby."

"I's do dat," the woman said but remained standing where she was.

"What the hell are you waiting for," Justice shouted. "Go on."

The old woman said, "No needs tah git all 'uffy a'out it."

She sprang away, however, when Justice took a step forward in her direction. She cackled crazily though, when she sprinted down the street, very spry for a woman of her advanced age. Justice watched her until she was out of sight. When she was gone, Justice turned about and headed back to the hideout.

A/N: Okay, so I've made Hermione appear weak so far, but believe me, that will change, so do not despair the Hermione we love shall return. Stay tuned for more.


	25. Chapter 25

Chapter Twenty-Five

Tricky Tricks

Abby watched the second hand of the clock on her bedside stand tick around past the twelve. It was almost one in the morning, but she could not find sleep. Her brain was spinning around and around so fast with crazy and jumbled ideas and thoughts. She could not stop thinking about her mum. She hated that she did not know where her mother was or if she was alive. It was this last thought that bothered her beyond anything else.

Though no one had mentioned the thought a loud, Abby knew that everyone was thinking the same thing. What if Hermione was dead? What if Spooky had already killed her mother? The very prospect of this caused Abby's mind to whirl around once more. Spooky wanted Abby's mum dead, she had heard the adults talking earlier when they had believed she and Aria were sleeping. They had all worried that Hermione was seriously injured, but what they never said out loud was that horrible concept that Hermione might already be lost to them.

Abby closed her eyes, trying to rid herself of the tears that threatened to spill over. Closing her eyes only made things worse though. Behind closed lids, horrifying images filled her vision and she popped her eyes back open. It was the same every time she tried to will herself to sleep. She would close her eyes and terrible images of her mother's bloody and broken body would soar into her brain. She had never thought her vivid imagination was something to dread, but at the moment she wished she was a dull witted twit.

She understood now what it must have been like for her mother when Spooky had kept her captive. How many times had Hermione lain in bed, crying over the horrible possibilities while hoping for a miracle? Abby vowed that if Hermione was safe, she would never cause her mother to worry again. Tears rolled down her cheeks and hit the pillow. She winced and furiously wiped the tears away. She refused to cry. She was not going to let herself cry until she knew where Hermione was and if she was safe.

Just then, she felt the bed shift as Aria climbed onto it and moved in close. Abby turned bright eyes to her friend, but the only light coming into the room was that of the moon from outside the big window, so Abby could only make out Aria's profile.

"Abby?"

Abby sniffed once and said, "What?"

"I can't sleep," Aria confessed in a small whisper. "My head keeps going over and over what happened today and I can't stop it. I was hoping we could talk for a little while, and then maybe I can fall asleep."

Abby lifted herself into a sitting position and scooted over so Aria could join her at the top of the bed. She reached over and clicked on the small lamp by the clock. The glow was bright enough from the lamp that she could see Aria clearly now, but it reached no further than the ends of the bed, so the rest of the room was cast deeper into shadows.

Aria came up next to Abby and faced her, sitting cross-legged. She looked bedraggled; her long blonde hair lay in tangles down her back and over her shoulders and her eyes were red shot with dark circles underneath. Abby did not mention her friend's less than fair appearance since she doubted she herself looked any better. She swiped a hand through her soft curls and hit snags and snarls, so stopped.

Abby said, "I can't sleep either. It's like my brain's a computer that won't shut down."

"What's a computer?" Aria asked bemused.

Abby waved a hand as she said, "I'll explain some other time. I don't have the strength to get into it all right now."

"Oh, okay," Aria agreed, not truly concerned with what the computer was or how it worked at the moment.

"I keep thinking about my mum," Abby explained, her voice filled with grief. "The adults won't say it, but I think a few of them believe Mum's already dead."

"Oh, Abby," Aria said and scooted closer so she could wrap and arm around Abby. "You can't think like that. I'm sure she's alive."

"It's not easy to think like that," Abby professed testily. "Besides, I think Mum's alive. I have to believe that. All I was saying is what the adults refuse to say since they're thinking the same way. It makes everything seem ten times worse because everyone is trying to act normal, or as normal as possible. I just wish that they would not pretend that everything is okay."

Abby took a deep breath and looked away. "They pretend that we aren't aware of what's really happening and that's annoying. I hate being treated as if I'm a baby."

"It's frustrating, I know," Aria agreed heartily. It's almost as if they are all trying to pretend Hermione has only gone on vacation or something. But I don't think they mean to treat us like babies. I think they're all afraid to say it out loud because it would be like making it the truth."

Abby sighed and said, "Yeah, I guess so. It's just so darn annoying."

"Listen, I remembered something about that old woman who tried to steal us away earlier today," Aria said hurriedly, changing the subject.

Abby frowned briefly and asked, "What?"

"I think she followed us to the train station," Aria professed softly.

"Huh?"

"I remember seeing her before we got on the train," Aria clarified. "I saw her when we came out of that coffee shop and again on the train."

"Are you sure you saw the same woman?" Abby asked skeptically. When Aria looked hurt, she said quickly, "It's not that I don't believe you, Aria, it's just that sometimes, the street people, the homeless, can look the same as the next if you don't pay close attention."

Aria's hurt expression cleared and she said, "I'm sure I saw the same woman each time."

"How can you be so sure?" Abby wanted to know.

"When we came out of the coffee shop, I saw an old woman standing at the corner, looking our way," Aria explained her voice raising a little. "I noticed her because of the three different coats she was wearing. I thought it was strange but decided it must be a Muggle thing."

"It's not a -"

Aria cut Abby's protest off and said, "I know it's not a Muggle thing now, Abby. It's just what I thought at that time. Later, when I noticed that not everyone was wearing the same amount of coats, I realized it was not a normal thing to do."

"Oh," Abby breathed.

"Anyhow," Aria continued. "While we were on the train, I was looking around and I saw the same woman in the front of the car we were on. I thought nothing of it, again, this time because I thought she might just be going the same way as us. When she tried to kidnap us, I forgot all about seeing her since I was more worried about how we were going to get away."

"Well, so was I," Abby said.

Aria nodded. "But now, as I was trying to sleep the events of the day kept replaying inside my head and I remembered seeing the old woman twice before. Then," she paused a moment. "Then I recalled what she said to us."

"What part?" Abby asked. "She said a lot of things and most of it was hard to understand."

"The part about selling us," Aria said quietly.

"I think she said someone called Tice would buy us," Abby said, thinking back.

""Well, yes," Abby agreed. "But I don't think she was saying that Tice was going to buy us, I think she was saying she had already gotten the money from this person - Spooky."

Abby's eyes rounded as she considered what Aria was saying. "Oh my! You could be right, Aria. Spooky's real name is Justice; at least that's how he's signed his letters."

"Right," Aria said excitedly. "Only the woman, she wouldn't have used Justice. Her English was so broken that Justice was shortened to Tice. So in fact what she was saying to us was that Justice had given her a nice little sum for the girls. Or 'girlies' as she called us."

Abby suddenly leapt from the bed. Aria shrieked in surprise and said, "Where are you going?"

"Come on," Abby said, pulling Aria off the bed by her arm, which was something Aria was getting used to since Abby was forever pulling her along.

"Where are we going?" Aria repeated.

"To tell Draco," Abby said over her shoulder. "I don't think we should wait until morning."

Aria rolled her eyes but allowed Abby to continue to pull her along. She said, "Draco's going to have a fit that we're still up."

"He won't care about that once we tell him what we've figured out," Abby said with authority.

Together they entered Draco's room without knocking, but the room was empty. The bed did not even look as if it had been touched. Abby turned on her heel and dragged Aria back out of the room. Next they went to the kitchen which was also empty as was the living room, Draco's office, the library, the den and Hermione's work room.

They stopped outside this last room. Aria said, "Where could he be at this time of night?"

"Mum's room," Abby answered softly her voice full of emotion.

"Why would he be there?"

"To be close to Mum," Abby said with knowledge beyond her years. "It's where I was thinking about going to sleep right before you came over and asked if we could talk."

Comprehension lit Aria's face. "Oh. Come on then, we'll go there."

Aria started to move back down the darkened hallway but when Abby remained behind she stopped and turned back. "What's the matter?"

"We can't bother him while he's there," Abby said quietly. "He's there to… I don't think he would like it very much if we barged in on him while he's there."

"You said it yourself, Abby," Aria said a little impatiently. "He would want to know about the old woman now, rather than tomorrow morning."

"Yes," Abby nodded her head. "I said that, but I don't think it's a good idea to disturb him right now. He needs this time. I don't claim to fully understand why he needs this time because adults don't often make sense but I don't think-"

It was Aria's turn to drag Abby along. She grabbed Abby's arm and started pulling her along the hallway. Abby tugged her arm but Aria held on and said, "Look, any other time I would agree with you but this, as you said, is important and I don't think my brother, _your father _will take up issue with us when we tell him what we think."

By the time Aria had finished her whispered homily, they had come to Hermione's bedroom door. It was slightly ajar and Aria could see the bed from where they stood outside. Draco was there, sitting on the edge with a pillow wrapped in his arms almost as if he believed it was Hermione he was hugging.

Abby whispered, "Can you see him?"

Aria nodded and said, "Yeah, I can see him."

"Well," Abby snapped, still whispering. "What's he doing?"

Aria looked over at Abby. "He's sitting on the bed hugging Hermione's pillow."

"He's…" Abby frowned and then smiled. The image Aria's words had brought amused her.

Her smile prompted Aria to ask, "What are you smiling about?"

Abby shrugged as she said, "It's just strange is all, picturing my dad hugging a pillow. It's so…so, er, soft."

"What?" Aria asked confused. "What the heck does that mean, soft?"

"Draco, my dad, just doesn't seem like the sort of person to act so, um, sentimental," Abby explained. "He always acts so tough; do you know what I mean?"

Aria thought about it a minute and then said, "Yeah, I guess I do know what you mean, but I know Draco better than you do and I can assure you that deep down he's a big old softy."

They shared a grin. Abby was about to reiterate her thoughts about not bothering Draco, but before she could, Aria had reached up and opened the door all the way. The motion of the door moving alerted Draco to their presence and he was looking at them as they came all the way into the room.

Abby looked over at Draco and suddenly felt like an intruder. His expression was so full of pain and sorrow that it was as if he were someone else. His eyes were misty and so full of grief that Abby wanted to leap into his arms so that they could comfort one another. She fought the urge to run to him until he looked at her and she could see the love shining there.

She raced over, throwing herself into his arms, trusting him to be there to catch her. He did catch her and held her tightly to his chest, rubbing his cheek against the top of her head. His voice coarse with everything he was feeling, he promised, "I'll find her Abigail. I'll find her and bring her back to us safe and whole."

Hearing him declare this almost impossible promise made Abby's heart soar with hope. She said, without moving from his arms, "I know you will…Dad."

Draco stiffened for a fraction of a second in shock from hearing himself called dad, but a nanosecond later, his arms tightened even more around Abby.

Abby pressed her face into his shoulders, gripping him as hard as she could in return. She inhaled his clean, spicy scent and knew that even if things were never the same, she would always have her dad, just as she had always had her mum.

A few moments passed where Draco and Abby did not move, then Aria came over and joined them on the bed. She did not mean to break up the tender scene, so she sat quietly and waited for her brother and niece to speak. When at last Abby pulled back, she said, "I want us to be a family."

"We will be," Draco promised again. Close to tears, he cleared his throat and asked, "What are you two doing up so late?"

"We have something to tell you," Abby announced. "Remember the old street woman you and Wicker saved us from today?"

Draco nodded and said, "Yes, but-"

Aria interrupted, "We think she might have been working for Spooky."

Draco carefully moved Abby to a spot next to Aria and stood up so he could see both girls clearly. "Explain why you think this?"

And they did.

"Draco?"

Draco slowly opened his eyes. Harry was standing over him at the side of the bed. Draco tried to lift an arm to rub the sleep from his face but discovered something heavy in his way. He frowned and looked sideways. Abby was curled up against him; her head snuggled into the crook of his arm. He looked to the other side and saw Aria in the same position.

Slowly, with some degree of difficulty, he eased his arms free. Once he was free of the bed, he waved Harry from the room. In the hallway he said, "Let them sleep. They did not go out until after three in the morning. What time is it?"

"Almost seven," Harry said. "I know it's early but-"

"It's okay," Draco interrupted. "I'm surprised I fell asleep at all."

"With bedmates such as those two, it's not hard to see why you managed to get some sleep," Harry said. "I know whenever I cuddle up to my kids, I fall asleep with them. It's got to be the greatest thing in the world, to feel your child in your arms; at least I think it's one of the greatest… I'm rambling, aren't I?"

Draco nodded but smiled. "You are, but I understand what you're saying. What's the reason you had for waking me?"

"Let's talk in the living room."

They went into the living room where Ginny, Neville, Charlie and Bill were already sitting around. Draco took a seat near Ginny and asked again, "What's going on?"

Ginny did not answer him but did lean forward and handed him a mug. She said, "Its tea, a special brew Mum taught me."

Draco took a sip and sighed in pleasure. "It's good, thank you. Now, will someone tell me what this is about?"

"Harry thinks there's someone watching your building," Bill replied.

"Watching the building?" Draco repeated. "What you really mean is someone might be watching my place?"

"Well, yes," Charlie said. "But since you live in a building with other apartments, it's better to watch the entire place; that way, nothing is missed."

"Why do you think someone is watching?" Draco asked, thinking of what Abby and Aria had told him.

"Around eight last night," Harry began, "When everyone was busy with doing other things, I had to run out for a snack run."

"A snack run?" Bill questioned with a raised brow. "What in the hell does that mean, exactly?"

Harry looked sideways at Ginny as he said, "Never mind that now, Bill. It's not important. Well, it's not unimportant, but it's better left for later."

For some reason, Harry's strange behavior clicked something inside Draco's head. He turned to look at Ginny and with a small but sincere smile he said, "Congratulations."

"Thank you," she said and smiled softly back at him.

"Why the hell are you -" Bill started to say and then stopped. He looked at Harry and than Ginny before the light dawned in his expression. "Oh! Oh, Ginny, Harry, that's wonderful."

Ginny actually blushed slightly and said, "Thank you, Bill."

Charlie, who had also caught on to what they all referred to, said, "That is wonderful news, Ginny, Harry, but how does this explain Harry's 'snack trip?'"

Bill rolled his eyes. "Do you mean to tell me that Kita never had cravings when she was pregnant?"

"She did!" Charlie said indigently, and then, "Oh, I understand!"

"I don't understand how that would cause Harry to make a trip out last night," Neville spoke up for the first time since Draco had come into the room. "Congratulations by the way, but why couldn't you just conjure up whatever it was you were craving?"

"I could have," Harry agreed. "I have before, but Ginny wanted a peach pie from the bakery in Diagon Alley. She says I don't conjure them so that it tastes the same, and the one time I actually tried to bake it for her was a disaster, so I went out."

Harry forestalled any other queries by turning back to Draco and switching the subject. "As I was saying, Draco, I went out last night. Since you have an Anti-Apparition spell on your place I had to go outside to the alley on the side. I used the invisibility cloak for some reason and I'm glad I did. There was a homeless person across the street. I didn't think much of it at the time, but when I went back out this morning to purchase a paper, the same person was standing there, staring at the doors as if waiting for something or someone."

"Did she notice you looking her way?" Draco asked.

Harry did not answer; instead he asked, "How did you know it was a woman; I didn't say it was?"

"I'll explain in a moment," Draco said with a wave of his hand. "Did she notice you?"

"I don't think so," Harry said. "As I said, last night I was wearing my cloak and this morning I was hardly outside for more than a few minutes."

"If this woman is watching the building, how do we know it's us she's watching?" Neville asked shrewdly.

"We could always ask her," Bill suggested, though he did not sound serious.

"Yeah, that would be a right sight to see," Charlie said sarcastically. "If she is keeping on an eye on Draco's place, I don't think she'll stand there and quietly tell you that she's doing just that. She'll start screaming or worse."

"I wasn't serious, Charlie," Bill retorted irritably. "I know we can't draw attention to ourselves and the woman."

"We could try and get close enough to her to perform a Disillusionment Charm," Harry offered.

"I don't think that would work either," Draco said, though he sounded as if he was still mulling the idea over.

Harry actually nodded in agreement and said, "Yeah, I don't think it will work either. I was just tossing the idea out there."

"Why wouldn't it work?" Neville asked. "It would make it impossible for Muggles to see her, so that even if she did fight us no one would understand what was happening."

"Maybe," Harry said. "But then they would wonder what a couple of us were struggling with if she puts up a fight."

"We could Disillusion her and then stun her," Neville explained. "That way she couldn't fight us."

"It still won't work," Draco told him. "With all those people on the street, someone is bound to notice the Disillusionment Charm taking effect since it's not instantaneous. I don't relish the thought of having to go around and Oblivate memories."

They all fell silent for a little while as they tried to think of a way to get the woman inside the building and then into Draco's place.

Suddenly Bill said, "What if we lure her away from her post and into the alley. Once we had in the alley, away from prying eyes, we could stun her."

"That's a thought," Harry mused. "But how do we lure her away?"

Bill shrugged and said, "I hadn't got that far into the plan so if anyone can think of something…."

"We use Abby and Aria," Draco said into the silence.

Everyone turned to stare at him with looks of surprise. Draco said, "She's after the girls, so why not use them to capture her?"

"How do you know she's after Abby and Aria?" Charlie asked.

Draco had forgotten for a moment that he had not told anyone what Abby and Aria and told him. He did that now and ended with, "So we set a trap, using the girls."

"I don't like the idea of using Abby and Aria as bait," Ginny interjected. "What if something goes wrong?"

"I don't much like the idea either," Draco explained. "But unless someone has a cauldron of Polyjuice Potion lying about, we can't use it. It takes more than a month to make and I don't think we have that kind of time."

"No," Harry said. "We don't have that amount of time."

After another moment of silence, Charlie sighed and asked, "So what's the plan?"

Her name was Gloria and she had not always been homeless. Once, a very long time ago, she had lived in a wonderful little house with her husband and three children. The house had been surrounded by lovely green grass and a tenderly cared garden. She had been happy, content and full of love and laughter at that time in her life. Then tragedy had struck.

Her youngest child, a boy, had died after contracting Malaria when they had gone to Africa for a family vacation. The doctors had diagnosed him late and because of that, there had not been anything they could do to save him. That in itself, as tragic as it was, had not been Gloria's undoing. Before she could recover from the loss of her child, something more happened.

Her husband, a dear man who was devoted to his wife and family, had decided to take their two remaining children to Yorkshire to visit their grandparents. Gloria had opted to remain beyond on this short overnight trip so that she could finish a few household chores she had been neglecting. She had kissed her two little girls goodbye as well as her darling husband and told them to have fun at their grandparents' house.

Only they never made it there. Gloria had only just come back inside their home from watering her garden when there was a knock on her door. A police officer had been standing there, his expression hardened from years of delivering bad news. He had told her that her husband and two girls had been killed in a car accident. Another car, carrying a family of three, had struck her husband's vehicle when they swerved to avoid hitting the car of a drunken man. All three cars had collided and only the little boy of the other family had survived.

Gloria had gone numb for days. One day, she had simply walked out of the home she had made with her husband and children and had never gone back. In fact, Gloria was not even aware that her mind had snapped. She even, at times, believed that the husband and children that so often haunted her dreams were nothing but a wish she had long ago given up on. In Gloria's skewed mind, she had lived on the streets all her life and had never had anything more than what she earned for herself on daily basis.

Her years of living day to day had hardened her heart and soul. She did not dwell on the crimes she so often committed, nor did she let herself succumb to bouts of sympathy for those she cheated or wronged. The old Gloria, the one who had been happy and loving, would be appalled at the things the homeless Gloria did to earn a penny, but the old Gloria was long dead and buried. Homeless Gloria did dream of having more, but she did not want the old Gloria's life as it had been. She dreamed of nothing more than earning enough money to rent out a cheap motel room where she could live out her remaining years without having to scrap and hunt for her next meal.

Gloria was actually only forty two years old, but she looked much older thanks the hard life she had led since her family's passing. She felt even older than she looked as well. Life on the streets was not pretty and it made a person old before their time. Though she was still in her prime, she was not healthy. Her body ached almost daily now and no amount of aspirin kept that pain at bay for very long.

It was for this reason that she had taken on the job of snatching the little girl. The man, Justice, had given her a nice amount for the job and promised her even more when she brought the girl to him. With the sum she had already gotten and the sum promised, she could live in a cheap motel room for over a year without worry of having to make more money by the next day. It did not mean that she would be able to retire from collecting the odd buck here and there, but it would mean a bed at night and a roof over her head.

She had lied to Justice when she had told him that she had spent all the money he had already given her. The truth was that she had used only a small amount on a bottle of over the counter painkillers for her aching joints. She was saving that money so that when she completed her job for Justice and he paid her the rest of the fee, she could move into that motel room and worry less about her pains and woes.

Keeping an eye on the place where the man who had the girl lived was boring work, though. Not to mention the fact that her joints pained her considerably because of the lengthy amount of time she was spending standing in her feet. The bottle of pills she had purchased yesterday morning was almost gone because she was popping the tiny capsules into her mouth as it they were a tasty treat. Even now, as she eyed the building's front doors, she removed the childproof cap and shook out two more pills.

Only one fell into her palm, however, which made her look down. She frowned and tilted the bottle over, but it was a useless gesture; the bottle was empty. A heavy sigh escaped her lips and she wondered if she could leave just long enough to use a bathroom and buy a new bottle of painkillers. She was also extremely thirsty and would not mind a little something to eat.

She thought of leaving her post for only a moment before tossing the wonderful thought aside. If she wanted to earn the rest of that fee the crazy cloaked Justice had offered, she could not chance leaving. Gloria looked around for a familiar face, but so no one there she knew. Of course, the place she was scouting was in a better part of town so most of her fellow homeless would not venture too far into the district until the sun went down, which was hours away.

She shifted from one foot to another, moaning a little as the joints in her knees protested the change. Waiting another eight or nine hours for someone she could trust to possibly wander her way was not something she believed she could wait for. The painkillers may not have taken the pain completely away, but at least the pills kept the worst of it from affecting her everyday life. There was no way she could stand where she was all day long without something for the aches she had to contend with.

There was nothing to do but to leave her post and hope that the girl did nothing until she came back. However, no sooner had this thought filtered through her head then she saw the two girls emerge from the front doors. Gloria watched as they came to a halt on the sidewalk in front of the building. One of them glanced around as if searching for someone, but then shrugged and said something to the other girl.

They conversed for several minutes and then started to walk down the street, toward the business district. Gloria took three steps forward, intending to cross the street, but the girls stopped walking and so did she. One of the girls was shaking her head and the other was nodding. It looked to Gloria as if they were arguing, but she could not hear what they were saying, so could not be sure.

Gloria decided to get up closer while they were distracted and moved across the street, careful of the traffic slowly sloshing its way up and down the street. She did not move into hearing distance though, she did not want to take the chance that they would spot her and recognize her from the day before. As she drew to a stop, she did have a better view of the two girls and saw that they looked angry. One of them was actually gesturing wildly with her hands while the other one stared at her with a muteness expression.

The one not talking suddenly shouted something which caused the first girl to shake her head right before she started walking away. The second girl called to her, but the first girl ignored her friend's call and continued on as if she had not heard. The girl left standing there glared at her friend's retreating back for a minute before stomping her foot in an angry way. She turned about and stalked in the other direction.

Gloria felt a small ball of worry wiggle into the bottom of her stomach. Justice had told her that the girl he wanted was small, blonde and pretty. Gloria's dilemma was that both of the girls she saw could be described that way. She knew the girl's name:, it was Abby, but that did not help her in the slightest since she did not know which one was named Abby. Both girls, however, were getting further and further from her as she tried to decide which one to follow.

She hesitated a moment more before choosing the one who was headed in the direction they had taken the day before. Gloria picked up her pace until she was close enough to the girl that she would not easily lose her in a crowd of people.

She could not afford to lose the girl.

Aria wished that her brother's plan had not included her and Abby splitting up and going in two different directions. They had staged the argument and had split up and now Aria was heading toward the café she and Abby had gotten directions at yesterday. Of course, she was not actually going that far. She was to turn at the end of the street and continue walking along the side of Draco's building until she came to the alley. When she got there, the plan was for her to enter the alley and walk through.

Abby was supposed to do the same, but from the opposite direction. Their hope was that the street woman would follow one of the girls into the alley where Draco and Harry were waiting for her. By separating the girls it made it impossible for both to get taken if something went wrong. Having them come around to the alley it made it possible for the street woman to be led into it no matter whom she decided to follow.

Aria thought the plan a little haphazard, but since she was only ten, no one would listen to her. She agreed with herself, though, that if the plan worked, she would not say a word about the stupidity of the thing. If it failed she would, on the other hand, delight in telling the adults in her life that she had told them so.

She came to the end of the street, but instead of crossing it she turned and followed the walkway. As she walked, she did look around and was sometimes tempted to stop and gawk, but that would let anyone who was possibly tailing her know she was not Abby. Draco and the others agreed that the street woman was not positive of which girl was Abby. Since Abby would not stop and stare at all the sights around her, Aria had to restrain herself from doing just that.

The alley Aria was heading for was around the second corner and just past Draco's building. Aria reached the second corner and something buzzed in her ear. She frowned and muttered, "Well, tell her to hurry up?" There was no response since no one was actually there, but Aria felt better. The buzzing was a warning that Abby was not in step with her on the other side of the building, which meant she had to slow her stride.

Thinking quickly, Aria bent down and pretended to be tying her shoe. When another more jingle-like sound filled her ear, she stood straight and started walking again. She reached the alley and could see, just barely, since it was darker in the small walkway, Abby's outline on the other end. She pulled closer to the wall as did Abby. They did not want the woman to see someone else was also in the alley, so by moving closer to the alley, they were able to blend into the shadows more.

Thankfully there was not a lot of stuff in the alley lane, just a few dumpsters and a lone cardboard box, which said THH on the side. Aria walked along, trailing her fingers along the brick wall as she did. She was almost half way down and could see Abby slinking along when someone called Abby's name from behind her.

Aria turned around and peered into the dark. She squinted and could just make out the old woman from the day before. Keeping to Draco's plan, she said, pretending ignorance, "I'm sorry, did you say something?"

"Are ye Abbay?" the woman asked, sounding slightly fearful.

Aria frowned and asked, "Do I know you?"

"No," the woman replied quickly. "Are ye Abbay?"

"I think I do know you," Aria said, stalling for time now. Where were Harry and Draco? They should have come the second the woman spoke to her.

"Ye don' know me," the woman insisted sounding panicky.

"Yes I do!" Aria exclaimed with a snap of her fingers. "You're the same smelly woman who tried to accost me and my sister yesterday at the train station."

"No!" the woman nearly yelled. "Dat wasn' me. I don' know whatcha ye be talken ab'ot."

She was backing away, but Aria only smiled. Harry and Draco had come along and were now standing directly behind her. Aria, being wise, called out to Abby. "Hey sis, isn't this that same woman?"

Abby, playing along, came out into the open and nodded. "Yes, I do believe it is."

"Ye gots da-"

The woman cut off as she backed right up into Draco. Her expression turned from panic to downright fear as she turned around and faced Draco. Then, to Aria's amazement Draco was swearing loudly right before he reached out and grabbed the woman as she slumped forward.

"What happened?" Arai asked. "Did you Stun her?"

Sounding disgusted, Draco shook his head and said, "No, she's fainted."

Beside him Harry chuckled and said, "Well, look at it this way, now we don't have to stun her."

Draco grunted in reply. He hefted the woman, placed the Disillusionment Charm on her and said, "Let's go."

A/N:

Gloria's role is, well think of it as a walk on roll. I know I developed her character as if she'll play a bigger part but, sorry, no. I actually hope to use her character in Abby's story but I have yet to work that minor detail out, so she may end here. No, she won't die. Anyhow, if I can manage to fit her into Abby's story, any one who reads that one will understand Gloria a little better if they've read this one. Okay, hope you liked the chapter. More to come soon.


	26. Chapter 26

Terror and Joy

Draco deposited the old woman in a chair that Harry had pulled out into the center of Draco's living room. He used a Confinement Spell to keep her there in case she were to wake before they were ready. When he was done, he said to the room at large, "I hope you all don't mind, but I think, while our new friend sleeps off her fainting spell, I'm going to take a quick shower."

Harry looked at him sideways with a grin. "Feeling a little dirty, Draco?"

Draco looked back mildly. "The woman stinks, Harry, or did you not notice the odor coming off her?"

Aria said, "She said it was to keep the riff raff away."

Harry chuckled at that statement and when Aria gave him a wondering look Abby said, "She wasn't serious about that, Aria. The woman stinks because she lives on the street and can't take bathes."

Aria's mouth formed an O. "Well, how was I to know that? It's not as if I've ever met a homeless person before."

Abby patted Aria's shoulder. "We know."

Aria rolled her eyes, but said nothing more. Draco smiled a little as he said, "I'll be right back."

In less than an hour, he was back in fresh clothes. When he came into the room, he noticed Ginny first and the bewildered expression on her face prompted him to look at the others. All of them had similar looks of confusion plastered across their faces. Draco moved the rest of the way into the room, but before he could ask them what was causing them all to look so flabbergasted, he heard the woman.

"It be ki'nappen ye be doin," she was saying. "Da au'torties will be hea'in ab'ot dis, I can tell yet dat."

Harry noticed Draco and said, "Did you understand any of that?"

Draco shrugged and said, "It's a bit of a deep accent, but I got the gist of what she's saying."

"Well, please," Ginny begged, "tell us, because I haven't understood a word she's said since she woke thirty minutes ago."

"She accused us of kidnapping and assured us that she planned on turning us into the authorities," Draco explained.

"How the hell can you understand her?" Charlie asked. "I'm only getting half of what she says."

Draco raised a brow and asked, "Then why hasn't someone performed a speech enhancement spell?"

"Didn't know something like that existed," Harry replied. "There's a spell for that?"

Draco nodded and said, "There's a charm, hex, jinx and spell for almost everything. Here," he pointed his wand at the woman and muttered something, "that should do it."

Everyone looked at the old woman, but it appeared that she had run out of things to say since she remained quiet. She was staring at Draco with an expression of mingled fear and wonder. Draco came around so that he could see her properly. She looked like she was in her sixties, but something told Draco she was much younger. For some odd reason he felt a mixture of loathing and sympathy for the woman. Something in her eyes told him she had not always been as she was now. Briefly, he wondered what had caused her downfall.

The woman seemed to find her tongue because she said, sounding very comprehensible now, "I don't know anything about…"

Her voice trailed off as she heard herself speak in normal, unbroken English. Draco watched as she took it in and looked from him to his wand to him again. She was quick. She had put it together; he could tell by the look of keen interest that sprang into her eyes.

She said curiously, "What did you do to me?"

Draco ignored her as he pulled a chair from the corner and placed it so it faced her. Harry did answer her though, saying mildly, "He made it possible for us to understand what you going to tell us."

Harry's comment had the woman looking away from Draco and at Harry. It also made her forget her question. She was once again looking fearful as she said, "I don't know anything about whatever it is you want to ask me."

"How do you know you don't know anything?" Harry asked. "We haven't asked you any questions yet?"

"It won't matter what you ask, I won't have an answer," she said, trying to sound unafraid, but failing.

"Um, I have to ask something before we take this any further," Neville interjected before anyone could respond to the woman.

"What's that?" Charlie asked.

"Is it wise to use - er - magic around her?" he asked indicating the woman. "She is a Muggle."

"She's also the only lead we have right now that may give us an idea of where Justice is keeping Hermione," Ginny told Neville.

"I understand that, Ginny," Neville said, though he sounded slightly annoyed. "I'm only asking because there is a law stating that we are not to use magic around Muggles and well…" He waved hand at the woman again, telling them all once more that she was a Muggle.

Draco did not blink and even sounded a little cold-hearted when he said, "There's a reason Memory Charms are useful."

"Yes, but -"

"Neville," Bill said his voice low. "Let it go. We'll erase it all later, but this is something we must do in order to save Hermione. We may not like it but, well, this it is; we have to do this."

Neville did not say anything right away. At last, he said, "I…Let's just get this over with."

Draco faced the woman once more, his grey eyes hard and icy. "We're going to ask you some questions and we would appreciate it if you answer honestly."

"I don't have to answer to you," she snapped, trying a hand at bravery. "You kidnapped me and -"

"And you're working for a man called Justice," Draco interrupted angrily. "This man kidnapped my daughter once and now he's kidnapped her mother. We will not let you go until we have what we want from you."

Harry tapped Draco on the shoulder at this point. Draco turned heated eyes on him and growled, "What is it?"

"Try a different approach," Harry murmured in undertones.

Draco looked at him, askance. "Pardon me?"

"Try, um, being nice," Harry suggested. "I don't think the tough guy routine is going to work with her."

Draco sighed. He thought about what Harry was saying and decided to give it a shot. He turned back to the woman. This time when he spoke his voice was soft, even warm. He asked, "What's your name?"

Harry was right because without even thinking about her answer, the woman replied, "Gloria Huntington."

Draco smiled slightly, and though it did not reach his eyes, it softened his expression, making him look more approachable. He said, "I'm sorry for having brought you here, but you were hired by a man that has been trying to hurt my friends and family."

"That's not what he told me," Gloria remarked tartly.

"Why don't you tell me what Justice has told you?" Draco invited.

"He said that it was you that took his little girl from him and refused to give her back," Gloria said smartly. "Well, actually he said some woman did that. He also said that you thought he was the bad guy, but it was actually the woman - he never mentioned her name - was the bad one."

"Did he say anything else?" Draco asked, no longer having to force his voice into calm. Now that she was talking, he was content to let her talk.

"He said that he was going to get his life back," Gloria nodded as she spoke. "I told him I didn't care about all that. I only wanted the job because he was paying so well. I'm going to be getting me a room down by the docks with what he's given me. I won't ever have to sleep outside again, not if I pinch my pennies right."

Surprisingly, Gloria's words tugged at something inside Draco. He asked, "How much did you offer to pay you?"

Gloria answered, and then added, "Plus double that if I brought him the girl named Abby. Only I didn't know which girl was Abby. I think I followed the wrong one."

"You followed my little sister," Draco told her. "Abby and the other one look so much alike that they could be sisters."

"Yeah, that's what I told that man," Gloria said with a quick look at Abby and Aria who were sitting silently on the side. "I told him that I didn't know which girl was Abby and that's why he said he would pay me double. He said to take both girls, and for my trouble I would get double the amount."

Not fully comprehending why he felt compelled to ask, Draco said, "Do you like living day to day, without knowing where you'll get your next meal or where you'll be sleeping?"

"Oh, no," Gloria said feverishly. "I hate it, but I haven't got a choice, do I?"

"Why don't you have a choice?" Abby asked quietly.

Draco looked her way and saw compassion in her sparkling slate-blue eyes. Gloria was also looking at Abby. Her expression had gone soft and sorrowful. She said her voice just above a whisper, "I had a little girl like you once."

"You did?" Abby asked her voice just as low as Gloria's.

Gloria nodded. "Yes. I had two of them. They were going to visit their grandparents and…"

She stopped talking, her voice fading. She shook her head and looked as if she was lost. Draco said, "Do you know where Justice is hiding?"

Gloria looked around at him, her expression slightly dazed. A minute later she seemed to come out of the stupor she had fallen into and said, "He said he'd kill me if I ever said anything about him."

Draco shook his head. "He can't get to you. We won't let him. Do you know where he is?"

"I can't tell you," Gloria said, actually sounding sorry. "I don't want to die."

"I already said we won't let him get near enough to kill you," Draco assured her in a soothing tone. "In fact, we have a place for you to live and more money than he could ever pay you if you tell us."

"That sounds wonderful," Gloria muttered longingly. "But I can't tell you where he is because I don't know."

"Where did you see him?" Draco asked, considering a different tact.

"By the abandoned warehouse in West Minster," Gloria started but before she could say, anything more Harry interrupted her.

"That's the place Leo mentioned," he said to Draco.

Draco nodded. "Yeah."

"So we have a location?" Charlie asked.

"We do," Harry said. To Draco he said, "What are you thinking? You have this strange look on your face."

Draco did not answer right away. Instead he said to Ginny, "Keep her here with you and the others. Harry and I are going to check this warehouse out."

"Wait!" Charlie exclaimed loudly. "You want the rest of us to sit here and wait once again while you and Harry go out. What if this is the place and Hermione's there? Don't you think it will be better if more than just two of you go?"

Draco looked weary but said, "I don't think it will be in Hermione's best interest if we all storm the place. Moreover, no, I don't want you or Bill, to just sit, here while Harry and I go to the warehouse. I want the two of you to drop in on Leo for me. I'll send a note along so his cronies won't bother you. I want you to find out if he's found out anything new. I also want you to ask him to look into," here he paused and after a flick of his wand at Gloria he finished, "her past. I want to know everything there is to know about her."

Draco was not through handing out orders. He said to Neville and Isabelle, "If you two would please keep at that file, I would appreciate it very much. I think there is something there that we just can't see. Ginny, Percy, would you three please keep an eye on Abby and Aria? If Tonks comes back, please have her check with her contacts at the Ministry for any odd occurrences involving magic in the West Minster area."

Twenty minutes later, Draco and Harry were on their way to the warehouse.

Hermione peered into the dark but could not see anything or anyone, though she could hear voices. Someone was talking and at first, she thought it was only Justice, but then she realized that there were two distinct voices coming from out of the dark. She kept her head down, pretending to be unconscious and listened.

"They have the hag," a high-pitched voice uttered sharply.

A second voice, this one she recognized as Justice, replied, "I know they have her; this is not something I needed to be told, you idiot."

"Do you want me to kill her?" the person asked, sounding positively hopeful at the prospect.

"No," Justice replied. "She knows nothing of importance. She can not foil my plans."

"Then let me kill the woman, the witch that you keep chained up in the back," the other person offered.

"NO!" Justice bellowed. In a lower tone of voice, "We can't kill her just yet. They'll know she's dead and it would not serve me. I need her still."

"It won't serve you," came the snide reply. "How so? Her death means you have fulfilled your destiny. The very thing you have been aiming for these twenty years."

"Killing her means nothing unless I'm assured of my place in her life," Justice snarled. "I need to get inside her head; I need to know her as-"

"You're stalling," the other one snapped harshly. "You don't think you can do what you were meant to do, but you can. I've taught you well; just look how far you've come. You have no use for the woman any longer, why can't you see that?"

"I still don't have what I need from her," Justice growled, reminding Hermione of an angry beast. "I need what she has and she's…not willing to part with it as easily as I believed she would."

The second person must have decided to change persuasion measures because when the person spoke next, it was in a sugary sweet tone. "But don't you see if we kill her now, we can show our," the person snickered, "merciful side because we could end her suffering."

"NO!" Justice screamed madly. "I have to have what she has inside her. She will live for a while longer. She will crack eventually out of fear of losing it all. I offer her…immortality of a sorts and she'll come to see that this is the only way."

"She cares nothing about immortality," the other cried out. "She fought against the very Dark Wizard who came close to achieving that very thing. She will not break, she will -"

"BE QUIET!" Justice roared. "You don't know what you're talking about."

Suddenly contrite the other one muttered, "Sorry. But don't you see, if we don't end this soon, it will not end as we wish it to end."

There was a moment of silence and then Justice said, "It will end when the time is right, when I say it has to end and not a moment sooner. Now," Justice's voice slid into icy tones of hatred, "Why don't you go back to what you were sent to do and leave the rest to me."

"But-"

"GO!"

There was a sound of shuffling feet and Hermione knew, without having to see, that she was once again alone with Justice.

She kept her head down, letting it fall forward so that her hair shielded her face. With some effort, she was able to look upwards with her eyes and peek through the curtain of hair. The darkness of the room combined with her obscured vision did not let her see much until Justice strode into view carrying a lantern. She did not let on that she was awake; she continued to let herself hang by her arms as if she was still out.

For a long moment, Justice only stood in front of her. The hems of Justice's robes were the most she could see. When Justice finally spoke, Hermione managed to keep herself from reacting partially from sheer will and partly from very real exhaustion.

"You think you are so clever, letting yourself hang there, letting the iron of the shackles bite into your skin, all in an effort to make me think you are too weak to stay awake," Justice whispered. "I know the truth. DON'T PRETEND WITH ME!"

The shout might have startled Hermione if she had not been ready for such an event. She remained still and limp, showing no outward reaction to Justice's sudden scream of outrage. Justice waited a few more minutes and Hermione knew that behind a hood of evil, eyes watched her for signs of life. She showed Justice nothing.

Then, "Perhaps you are fast asleep. Perhaps you have become so weak that you can not maintain much more of what I have given you, but we shall see soon enough."

Hermione, without moving a muscle, braced herself for the torturous spell she believed was coming. Nothing happened and she almost made the fatal mistake of looking up in shock. She did not and that prompted Justice to say, "Very well, I will allow you some rest. I can't have you dying just yet."

A minute later, Hermione was alone. She thought about what she had just overheard and wondered what it all meant. Justice was not working alone as she and the others had believed. At least two others had hand in all of this, but whom? Hermione knew, in her logical way, that at least her friends had caught one of Justice's henchmen, but who was the person trying to persuade Justice to kill her off now rather than later? Hermione did not know and could not think of anyone to suspect.

At least one question had been answered, the one she had been asking herself since she had been taken. For some reason Justice was keeping her alive and until now, Hermione could not come up with an answer as to why. Alternatively, rather, she knew Justice wanted something from her. What that something could be, was still a mystery? She did not know what she had that Justice thought Hermione was keeping.

Hermione shook the thought away. There was no point in racking her brain for an answer when she did not have even the slightest clue. Instead, she refocused her attention on escaping. She had a feeling time was running out and if she did not discover a way out of her chains soon, she really would die. Death, at the peak of Justice's torture, would have been welcomed, but now, Hermione was not going down without a fight.

Draco bent low and motioned for Harry to come in closer. Harry moved along the outside of the warehouse, his back pressed up against the cool bricks. His eyes moved everywhere and Draco understood how it was that Harry rarely missed anything. It was almost as if the man had fifty eyes in which to see in every direction. Though he hated to admit it, Harry's keen ability to see in all directions, seemingly at once, was probably the reason he had always beaten Draco at Quidditch.

Harry came up to the other side of the warehouse door. He whispered, "The back of the alley is clear. The only thing down there is an old cat that won't bother us a bit."

Draco nodded and keeping his tone as low as Harry's, said, "I'll open the door, and you tuck down and peer inside."

"Okay," Harry agreed, and then added, "But if I get a spell right in the face, don't think I won't come back as a ghost and harass the hell out of you."

Draco rolled his eyes and asked, "What's this penchant you have for humor in the face of danger?"

"A coping mechanism," Harry muttered. "Ginny says I developed it after Dumbledore died."

"It's irritating," Draco grumbled.

"Too bad," Harry retorted. "Now, on the count of three…One, two," he took a deep breath, ducked and whispered, "Three."

Draco twisted the handle down and pushed the door. Nothing happened. Harry sighed heavily. "Well," Harry snorted, "that was dramatic. What do you suggest now?"

"Possibly an Unlocking Spell," Draco offered helpfully.

Harry gave a short negative shake of his head. He was not disagreeing, but said, "Do you really think, that as cautious as this guy has been, a simple Unlocking Spell is going to work?"

"You never know," Draco said. "Maybe Justice never believed we would find this place and didn't bother with any fancy wand work."

Harry thought for moment before saying, "It's worth a try."

He pointed his wand at the door handle and said, " I _Alohamora. /I "_

Surprising them, they heard a soft click and the door moved in just an inch. Draco raised an eyebrow, "I guess the man isn't as clever as he thinks he is."

"I hope you're referring to Justice and not me," Harry stated blandly.

"At the moment," Draco grinned easily, "I meant Justice."

"Ah, and you think my humor is irritating," Harry countered.

Draco restrained himself from chuckling aloud and said, "Come on, let's check the place out. On three again?"

Harry nodded and this time, Draco counted down, "One, two…three."

Harry swung himself around, crouched low and peered inside the gloom. When no one tried to hit him with a well-aimed spell, he moved into the gloom and looked around. He was inside a room that appeared to have once been the front office of the warehouse. There was a desk and chair piled into one corner as well as three large filing cabinets. Everything, including the floor was covered in a thick film of dust that looked untouched. The light in the room, what little of it there was, came in from five small windows that hung high up two of the four walls. A rotting poster, proclaiming that safety was the number one priority of a company called KPC, hung on one wall, near a door.

Harry motioned Draco inside and pointed out the door, "It appears we only have one option available to us."

Once again, they moved to ether side of the door. This time, Draco crouched low as Harry pulled the door handle and opened it inward so that he was behind the door. Draco, in the same fashion as Harry, propelled himself into the next part of the warehouse. A second later, he said, keeping his voice down, "Come on, Harry; it's a hallway and no one's here."

Harry joined Draco in the long corridor. The light was actually better here due to the large windows that almost went the length of the building on each end of the hallway. Most of the panes of glass had also been broken so that the light from outside was not hindered but years of dirt and grime. They looked up and down the corridor. There were four doors.

Draco asked, "Should we mark them as we check them out?"

Harry nodded and said, "That would be good. Let's start at one end and work our way down."

Without a word, Draco headed for the farthest door to his left. Harry came up beside him and as before, Draco opened the door as Harry checked it out. The first door led into a broom closet, which held old bottles of cleaning chemicals and a few dusty mops. Draco closed the door and they went to the next one.

They continued in this fashion at each door, each man taking it in turns to check the room first. The second door led them into another office, this one larger and though it was just as filthy as the rest of the warehouse, Draco could tell that the office had once been very nice. The furniture in this room, as the previous one, was piled into a corner. They checked the corners of the room but found nothing.

The third room they came to must have once been used as a filing room since there was numerous filing cabinets scattered about the room, all of them broken and filthy. Some were dented and cracked while others lay on their sides, forgotten relics of a once lucrative business. This room offered another door, but when Draco and Harry opened it, they discovered only a bathroom. The commode was broken into two pieces and the sink, or rather where the sink had once stood was nothing but rusty pipes and ruined tile.

The last door in the hallway led them into an empty room, but the room gave them the choice of two more doors. The first one was nothing but a small closet, which was empty as well. The second door took them into another hallway, this one running in the opposite direction from the last one.

As they entered the second corridor, Harry muttered, "It's like a maze."

Draco only nodded in response; he was to busy counting the doors in this hallway. He said, "There's only two doors here."

They made quick work of investigating the first room, which was empty. As they moved toward the second door, Harry said, "The doors and passages have to end soon. I mean, the building isn't it very large, and the most of it should be taken by the large storage area where the business would have housed its product."

"Yes, that's true," Draco agreed. "But if Justice has bewitched the place in some way to change what it once was, we could very well be checking out doors and rooms full of dirt and dust for days."

Harry looked horrified, but his tone indicated he was not serious when he said, "Surly not days, Draco. Maybe _a_ day, but no more than that."

Draco decided it was best not to comment. Instead, he opened the second door and Harry checked it out. "Come on in, Draco. We have another cou -"

His voice came to an abrupt stop when the door he was speaking up flew open and someone flew into the room, a blur of motion. Draco, who had just entered, had the misfortune of stepping directly into the person's path and the two collided with muffled, "Oofs."

Hermione was trying to flatten her hand as much as possible so that she could slip it out of the iron band when she heard the door slam open and snap shut again. She quickly went limp, gasping lightly when the wrists shackles dug into her bruised skin even more. Her eyes wanted to water from the increasing pain, but she kept them closed, listening as someone's, no doubt Justice's, echoed hurried footsteps came forward.

A robed figure and now Hermione knew it was Justice, stopped in front of her and began pacing. She watched through hanging strands of hair as the robes swirled and twisted with each step Justice took. Justice was muttering and Hermione listened.

"How?" Justice said, sounding confused and …scared. "How did they find me? This isn't right. They weren't supposed to find me. How did they find this place?"

There was a slight pause, and then, "The old woman. She had to have told them where I was, but she couldn't have known this was my place. I never…"

Justice trailed off for a minute and then said, "Damn it! I can't do this right now. I'm not ready for this. What am I going to do? I have to think. I have to think."

More pacing sweeps by Hermione, but she closed her eyes. Joy, relief and terror were sweeping over her, making her feel sick to her stomach. Justice was angry that 'they' had found the hideout. Hermione knew, without a doubt, that 'they' were Draco, Harry and anyone else that was helping in rescuing her. It lifted her spirit, making her want to dance, but it also sent shivers of apprehension and terror down her spine. Justice might decide to kill her now that she was about to be saved. Hermione knew she could not stop Justice, either, not without her wand. She would die knowing freedom had been only moments away.

Suddenly, Justice grabbed a fistful of her hair and yanked her head upwards. Hermione kept her eyes closed and her expression blank, though it was hard since the grip on her hair was causing her a great deal of pain.

Lips came close to her ear, she could feel hot, moist breath and Justice said, "This is all your fault. You may not be able to hear me, but I'll tell you, gleefully, that they will never find you. I've hidden this room well."

Justice let go of Hermione's head, which she let flop back into a bent over position. Justice was still talking to her. "I can't kill you yet, but no matter; they won't find you. I'll be back and then we'll really have some fun."

Justice was gone and Hermione found herself weeping silently.

_Damn_, he thought as he pulled himself through the low window on the side of the building._ How the hell do I get myself into these things? I should have listened when the old man told me I was getting way in over my head, but did I listen. No, of course I didn't. Damn!_

He pulled himself the rest of the way through the window and almost plummeted to the floor below before catching his hands on the ledge. He hung there for a moment, catching his breath before silently dropping to the floor. He grunted in a low tone when he stood up from his bent position and knocked his head against the low hanging shelf he had not noticed. He rubbed the spot, which was aching now and looked about.

The room was small and covered in dust so thick it almost seemed as if the stuff had fallen like snow. The room was small and contained nothing more than a few discarded chairs. He looked grimly at the chairs and muttered darkly, "Couldn't be under the window, but way over there, stuffed in a corner and useless to me."

He shook his head and still talking to himself, walked quietly over to the door. "Now she has me doing it, talking to myself like an idiot. She's going to drive me insane and I'll deserve it, I will."

He reached for the door handle but paused. Voices were coming from the other side. He could make out only a few words, but it sounded as if someone was demanding that he be kissed. He backed away from the door and looked around. He could not go the way he had intended and that left him with only one option; he would have to perform some magic.

"Damn," he said angrily under his breath. "This was supposed to be easy."

He melted the wall away - or that was what anyone watching would believe he had done, since the wall appeared to turn into thick gooey glue and parted. He stepped through it and as he did, the wall reformed behind him. He did not bother to look back or to check for others that might be hanging about. He knew where everyone who was a player in what was happening and so knew he was safe from discovery.

He quickly made his way to the hidden room and once again made the wall melt away. Once he was inside, he heard someone crying. He walked in the direction of the sound until he could see who was crying. She was hanging limply from chains that came down from the ceiling; her long brown hair hid her face from view. Without a sound, he moved so that he was behind her. He did not want to take the chance that she would see him.

From behind the woman, he waved a hand and was gone a second later.

A/N: No, before anyone asks, the answer is no. I will not give any hints as to who the mystery man is. Sorry, no. I only have one other thing to add in this small note, I apologize for Gloria's broken English in this and pervious chapters. I can only hope that what she's saying comes through to the readers.


	27. Chapter 27

Chapter Twenty-Seven

Kiss Her!

She dropped to the floor, saving her head from hitting the cement just in time. For several minutes, she lay as a crumpled heap on the floor, expecting at any second for Justice to come careening out of the shadows and hex her. When no one attempted an attack, Hermione slowly rolled over so that she could look up. She was in a pool of light that she had never noticed until now. The chains that had held her up were dangling above her head. She shuddered once at the sight, but did not linger on the memories those chains provided.

Hermione looked next to her wrists and hands, trying to figure out how she had gotten free. She was positive that she had not managed to slip her hands out of the iron bands. Though that had been her plan, she had been having trouble forcing her hands to become small enough to accomplish the task. Frowning, she got to her feet. She again looked up, but just as quickly looked away. It did not matter how she had gained freedom, only that she was free.

Now all she had to do was discover a way out. This would have been easier if she could see further than a few inches ahead of her, but as the case was, she could see nothing in the black room. The only light came from just above her and it did not penetrate the room any further than the small circle in which she stood. She raised her arms with some difficulty since they screamed painful protest as she did, and held them out in front of her as she walked forward, into the blackness.

Hermione tried to calm down, afraid that if her heart continued to hammer as loudly as it was, she would not hear if anyone was approaching her in the dark. She slid her feet across the floor rather than pick them up with each step. She did not know what was ahead of her and she did not want to find out after it was too late. She kept her hands out in front, hoping that if they encountered anything, it was not alive.

A small part of her still expected Justice to come at her from any direction, which made it difficult to concentrate. However, when her fingers felt the cool, smooth surface of a wall, she sighed in relief. She did not know in which direction the door was, but she pressed herself up against the wall and started to inch herself along, feeling with her fingers as she went for anything resembling the shape of a door handle.

She moved her hands up and down, searching and when her fingers actually seized upon a handle, she let a squeak of surprise. Losing some of her hard won control, she frantically yanked at the handle before realizing that the handle twisted down. She sucked in a calming breath and slowly pushed the handle down. The door popped open and she, still in slow motion, opened it so she could see what lay beyond.

The door led into a large, open room with a ceiling far above her head. She had to blink a few times to let her eyes adjust to the sudden difference in lighting. Although the larger room was not bright by any means, it was shining with dark grey light that pushed its way in from the outside from windows positioned high in the ceiling. Hermione moved into the room, keeping her steps tiny so that her feet made no sound on the cement flooring.

She looked about the room and hesitated before going much more than a few feet inside. She looked back at the door she had just come from, but the door had vanished. Hermione understood now why Justice had been so sure no one would find her: the door would not have been visible to any would be rescuers. Hermione had no choice now, however, than to go forward. She did not know how to get the door to reappear, which left her stuck in the large room until she could discover a way out.

Hermione took a moment to look around. The place was filled with crates, all marked with the logo of the forgotten company who had once lived here. The decrepit crates were stacked one upon the other in threes and lined one side of the room. Some of them had rotted in places so that the cut sleeves of paper that had cushioned the product inside hung out in places. There were also signs that a few of the crates had become homes to rats and whatever else had taken up residence inside the walls of where

Hermione was now. Hermione looked away from the crates and saw that other side of the room was almost empty except for a few machines that looked as if they had used to move the crates. Just then, Hermione heard voices coming from where she was looking. She squinted, but could see no one there. She spotted a door however and knew that was where the voices were coming from. Thinking it had to be Justice, Hermione quickly moved to the other side of the room and ducked back behind one of the towers of crates.

She was going to escape.

Draco picked himself off the floor so quickly he was a blur. He was up and facing the person who had bumped into him, his wand at the ready. A moment later he lowered it and demanded, "What the hell are you doing here?"

Harry seconded the inquiry and added, "We nearly hexed the two of you."

"Sorry," Fred said sincerely, picking himself up off the floor with help from his twin who had walked in behind him.

Once Fred was on his feet and was, dusting himself off, George looked at Draco and Harry. "Bill asked us to come by and give you two a message."

"This had better be good," Draco snapped harshly.

"Better than good," Harry warned.

"Listen, don't kill the messengers," Fred said grievously. "We're only doing what Bill asked."

"Fine," Draco snarled, losing patience. "What's the message?"

"He said that Leo had nothing new, but that Isabelle was close to cracking the code that file is written in," George delivered quickly.

"Yeah," Fred said. "He also said that Isabelle warns you to be very cautious. She isn't sure what it is that you need to be careful of, only that you should not believe everything you see."

"That's rather cryptic," Draco, remarked, his voice dangerously low.

"I hate cryptic," Harry snorted. "What the hell does it mean?"

Fred shrugged and said, "I haven't a clue, but Bill wanted us to also tell you that Leo says he will have the report on Gloria soon."

"Oh," George said next. "He also says that Leo told him that 'strange occurrences' is an understatement for what's been getting reported about this area of West Minster."

"What sort of-"

Fred was answering before Draco could finish. "Bill didn't go into detail on what he meant. He just said he would give you and Harry a full report when you returned."

Draco nodded once and said, "Fine."

Harry looking around said to Draco, "Do you see anything off about this room?"

Draco looked away from the twins and studied the room. It was completely empty except for a huge pile of boxes that looked as if they might have once been square but were now broken and misshapen. Besides the door in which Fred and George had come through, there was one other door, which looked as if blacker than the wall and first door.

"The door," Draco said with a nod in the black doors direction, "looks as if it doesn't belong."

Fred and George looked at the door with the others. Fred said, "I don't know about that door, but the one we just came from leads outside, it's the only door we could find that wasn't locked tight against Unlocking Charms."

Draco looked away from the door and frowned. "We came in through the alley door, which was the main entrance into the warehouse. It wasn't impervious to our charm when we did, either."

George shook his head and said, "Well it is now. We didn't think we would gain access until we found this door."

"Something is definitely not right," Harry murmured. He said to George, "Close that door and mark it with an X."

George did as Harry said and then looked back. "What are you thinking?"

"I think we underestimated Justice," Harry muttered angrily. "He wants us to open that door." Harry pointed at the black one. "Why?"

Draco said, "To spring a trap."

"I think we're already in the trap; it just doesn't come to a finale until we try to leave the room," Harry replied.

"Well, there has to be a way out," Fred mumbled. "He wouldn't want to accidentally trap himself, would he?"

Draco agreed and said, "No, he wouldn't. There is a way out; we just have to find it."

"There," Harry said and pointed at the boxes. "That's the way out. Look closely at the boxes. They did not start out there. Someone's moved them there. Someone deliberately pushed them into that corner."

Draco looked again and noticed that there were long scrapes in the dusty floor. The sight was a clear indication that someone had placed the boxes in the corner. He walked over and with a flick of his wand, the boxes lifted and shifted aside. He felt along the wall and said to Harry, "You can feel it."

Harry joined him and placed upon the fake wall. "It's concealed."

"So how do we open it?" Fred asked.

Draco and Harry hushed him at the same time. Draco said, "I think it's just a matter of saying something, like open up."

Both men sprang backwards when, at Draco's words, a door swam into existence. Harry looked at Draco and said drolly, "Well, that was a little too easy, don't you think?"

"Oh yeah," Draco said with a nod. He looked back at the black door with a frown. He walked over to it and placed one palm flat against the surface. It felt hot and cool at the same time. "This one feels charmed as well," Draco informed Harry.

Harry was not looking at either door but was looking back toward the spot they had come. "Yes, and the door we used to get in the room, has vanished. I'll bet ten galleons that it won't reappear just if you ask it too."

Fred walked over the vanished door and tried it anyhow. "Open up!" When nothing happened, he shrugged and turned back, saying, "Nope, that isn't going to do the trick."

"So, the question is," Draco, mused, "which door will spring the final trap and which leads to freedom?"

"That would be the million dollar question," George said with a hint of sarcasm.

Harry shot him a dirty look, but did not comment. "I think we should consider the situation and the man who created it. What do we know about Justice?"

"He's mentally twisted," George offered helpfully.

"He's clever," Fred added.

"Yes," Draco nodded in agreement. "He's both of those things. He's also cocky and egotistical."

Harry, far from looking surprised, as were Fred and George, agreed, "He is all of that, which tells us what about this trap?"

They all fell into a thoughtful silence. At last, Draco said, "It means he would want us to think the trap was the black door, but in fact it would be the concealed door that held the trap."

"I think so too," Harry agreed once more, though he still did not sound positive. "On the other hand, he might think that we would see it that way and therefore, would have reversed it, so that the concealed door was the exit and the black door the trap."

"So," Fred said, sounding suspiciously sarcastic again. "What we've come back to is that either door can be the trap and the exit."

"Exactly," Harry said with a brief nod.

"How in the hell does that help us get out of here?" George demanded.

"Easy," Draco said. "We cancel the trap."

"How are we supposed to cancel the trap?" Fred argued. "We don't know which door leads to the damn trap."

"The black door leads to the trap," Draco said confidently.

"How do you figure that?" George asked, confused.

"It's like Harry said, the reverse is also true; therefore, the black door is the trap and freedom, while the concealed door leads nowhere at all," Draco explained.

Fred and George looked at him a minute and than turned to Harry. Fred asked, "Care to explain what your insane friend means?"

Harry grinned and said, "It's simple, really. The black door is our only real choice. Show them, Draco."

Draco opened the door that had appeared when he had asked it too. Nothing lay beyond it but a solid brick wall. George shook his head and said, "I'm still a little lost. "Why would Justice mislead us if-"

Draco sighed and interrupted. "He didn't mislead, well he did but… Look, the room was set up like a riddle. If we had not deduced that the black door was both the trap and the exit, we would have opened one of the doors and no matter which one we opened, we would have fallen into Justice's trap, whatever that might have been."

"Right," Harry said looking grim. "It wouldn't have been pretty in any case." Seeing Fred and George exchange looks of puzzlement, he said, "Look, because we figured out that the doors were one in the same, the trap was nullified, which Draco proved by opening the door just now. This means that we can now safely open the black door and continue searching the warehouse."

Fred only nodded but George said, "I still don't get how you two figured out that the doors were the same, but since I trust you, Harry, I'll just go along with it."

"Good," Harry said, smiling a little. "Shall we proceed then?"

They all turned to the black door. Harry opened it since he was the closest and stepped quickly to the side in case Justice was cleverer than they gave him credit for, but nothing sprang out at them and they soon all moved into yet another room.

"I'm tired of these rooms and the damn doors," Draco growled after he looked around and saw three more doors, which they would have to check.

"As am I," Harry said with a muttered curse. A second later, he called out loudly to Fred, "Don't touch that door. Now that we have gotten in this far, we have to be careful. I'm sure there's a trap or something just as sinister lurking behind at least two of these doors. We have to figure out which one is the safe passage."

Fred withdrew his hand from the handle of the door, eyeing it wearily as he did. "What the hell are we going to do this time? There are more than two doors."

Harry went over to a door, as did Draco. Draco placed his palm against the paneling as he had before. The door was silky smooth and ice cold. "This is not the way out. It's got a…strange feel to it."

He moved to the third door since Harry was still feeling out the door he had chosen to investigate. Draco, for the third time, touched a door with the flat of his hand. The door was cool and dank. It felt normal, as if nothing were disturbing its peaceful existence.

Harry removed his hands from inspecting the door and turned to the others. "This one is also not the way out. The other side leads to something like a void."

"How do you know that?" George asked curiously because he did not doubt that Harry had the answer.

"When I touched it," Harry explained. "I felt as if there was nothing inside me, but that everything I wanted, ever, was inside that room. I was close to actually opening it before I realized that whatever curse Justice placed on the door was what was making me feel like that."

"This door then," Draco said to them and opened it without waiting for them to agree. It led into a small corner room, which had only one door.

"Well," George said insipidly, "At least there's no choices to be had this time."

Draco looked over his shoulder at George and said, "Which is not always a good thing."

Together, Draco and Harry walked over to the door. They held out hands to it and tried to feel for something that might be there. Draco said after a minute, "I can't feel anything odd, can you?"

"No," Harry said, backing away. "But that doesn't mean it's not a trap."

Draco also took a few steps backwards. "What do you think?"

"I think we need to stop and think," Harry said with a tight smile. "I don't want to give Justice the satisfaction of besting us, do you?"

"Hell no!" Draco emphasized loudly.

Harry looked around, but finding nothing in the room, he drew up a chair with his wand and sat down. "Then let's think."

Draco, George and Fred joined him, all drawing chairs from thin air and taking seats.

Ginny placed the last of the sandwiches she had made for lunch on the tray and picked it up. She carried it into the living room where Percy, Veronica, Abby, Aria and Wicker were all sitting about. Everyone was handling their anxiety they were all feeling in different ways. Percy had his nose stuck in a book while Wicker dozed by his feet and Veronica, his wife, had been looking over a magazine. Abby and Aria were playing a game that Ginny thought was called Monopoly, but was not positive since it was a Muggle game she had never heard of before.

Ginny had been watching the girls play until Abby had mentioned she was getting hungry at which point Ginny had charmed the entrances into the living room to prevent the two girls from leaving and had proceeded into the kitchen to make a light lunch. Aria, who had been watching Ginny charm the entranceways, had commented dryly, "We really are just hungry, Aunt Ginny; we didn't plan on escaping again."

Abby had grinned and added, "Of course, if we had been planning an escape, a charm wouldn't have stopped us."

At that point, Ginny had only rolled her eyes and walked out of the room. Now, as she returned, laden with food and drink, the girls looked up and Abby said, "See, still here, Aunt Ginny."

Ginny smiled despite herself and said, "Yes, I see and still full of the devil as well."

Percy poked his nose out of his book and asked, "Is that food?"

"Yes," Ginny said and than noticed, that Veronica was not present. "Where's Veronica?"

Percy said loftily, "She had to check in at the Ministry. She doesn't have the time to take the entire day off."

"Oh," Ginny breathed as she passed glasses of pumpkin juice around. "Will she be back later?"

"Yes," Percy said after swallowing. "She said to expect her before the dinner hour."

"Ha!" Aria suddenly exclaimed loudly. "You just landed on that Baltimore slot and that means you owe me…"

Aria trailed away as she studied the card in her hand. Abby chuckled softly and said, "Here, let me see it."

Aria gladly handed the card over. Abby looked at it and said, "I owe you only two play bucks since you don't have any hotels."

Aria gleefully held out her hand for the fake money, which Aria deposited into it with a small smile. She said, "You know, I've never had much fun playing this game. It can get boring after awhile, but playing it with Aria makes it very, er, interesting."

Ginny smiled affectionately at the two before looking at Percy again, who was working his way through a second sandwich. She commented, "I've never seen you so hungry, Percy."

"Yes, well," he mumbled, "Veronica has been very busy lately and it's rare that I get a homemade meal."

"What department does she work again?" Ginny asked.

"Department of Magical Law Enforcement," Percy said around a mouthful of food. He swallowed and said, "She says there's been a sudden rise in wizards and witches experimenting outside of Ministry Law with normal Muggle animals and magical creatures. The Department of Regulations and Control of Magical Creatures has been working with Veronica and her team very closely as a result."

"Ah," Ginny said, losing interest. "When do you start your new post?"

"Henrietta Hawkins retires at the end of the month," Percy said with some pride in his voice. "The Minister will announce me as the new Head of Department of Magical Transport the day after that, so I will officially hold the post at that time."

Ginny said nothing more, as her thoughts turned back to the end of Percy's flourishing career as Undersecretary to the Minister of Magic. Rufus Scrimgeour had allowed Percy to keep the position after Fudge left the post, but only because he had wanted a way into the Weasley house to get to Harry. After Percy and the rest of the Weasley's had patched things between them and it became apparent to Scrimgeour that Percy was no longer going to be such an easy lackey, he had been demoted to a mere secretary in the Transport department.

Percy had been devastated at the time since his goals were very high within the Ministry. However, after Scrimgeour had died in a battle involving one of his close advisors, who had turned out to be a Death Eater and Kingsley Shacklebolt had taken the post as Minister, Percy had risen until he was soon to become the head of the department to which had been his previous demotion. Percy no longer aspired too highly and though he sometimes still acted like a pompous jackass, he was not as prim and proper as he had once been.

Her thoughts turned to Veronica, Percy's wife of one year. Ginny did not know her that well and found it rather disturbing. Veronica rarely came to family gatherings, even on holidays. Percy was forever offering excuses for his wife's absence, which, in Ginny's opinion, did not place the woman in a very good light.

Of course, Ginny tried to give Veronica the benefit of doubt. Perhaps Percy's wife was uneasy around large crowds of people, which was hard to avoid when the Weasley clan came together. Alternatively, perhaps the woman was shy and self-conscious, which was not at all a reason to avoid her new family, but could be her reason for never coming to see any of them. In either case, Ginny often wished she knew her brother's wife a little better than she did.

A portrait of Draco that she had not previously noticed caught her attention just then. It was a good likeness of him, but that was not what made her look. The Draco in the portrait was pacing back and forth as if he were nervous about something. The strange behavior made her wonder about Harry and Draco and if they were safe.

Glancing at the clock, she noted that they had been gone for a little over an hour. Was that enough time to investigate a warehouse? Ginny was not sure but hoped they returned soon. She wanted assurance that her husband was safe and alive. She hated feeling this way. She had felt the same way during the War, back before Voldemort was defeated and her life had usually been in constant chaos.

Before she could really start worrying about it though, Abby's jovial shout of pleasure distracted her. She looked down at the girls and decided to watch them as they played, hoping it would keep her mind off her husband and Draco.

"The constant doors, endless empty rooms and useless corridors are starting to thin my patience," Draco grumbled as the four men continued to sit and think about what their next move should be. They had not yet decided if it was safe to open the only other door in the room and the indecision was making Draco feel worn.

Harry opened his mouth to reply but never got the chance. Just as the appearance of Fred and George had shocked him, so did the sudden opening of the door to which they had not yet looked into. A figure spilled into the room, breathing heavily and acting panicked. She looked up at the four of them and cried out, as if in relief.

"Oh, thank god," she sobbed.

Draco stood up so fast that his chair toppled over backwards and almost hit the wall, but Harry Vanished it before it could. Draco rushed over and grabbed Hermione by the arms looked down at her and then crushed her to his chest. He could think of nothing to say because his emotions of relief and joy were overwhelming him.

Hermione hugged him back just as tightly for only a moment before saying, with a note of hysteria, "We have to go. Justice is on the way. We have to go."

Draco turned his gaze onto Harry and was about to suggest that Fred, George or both take Hermione home while he and Harry remained behind to end this once and for all, but he never got the chance. Harry's expression was not one of happiness that Draco expected to see, but full of concern and a hint of doubt. Hermione was tugging on his hand, trying to urge him back out the way they had come but, he would not budge. There was something in Harry's expression that had Draco curious enough to ask, "What is it?"

"Kiss her," Harry said for an answer.

"Excuse me?" Draco asked, taken back by Harry's demand.

"He said, kiss her," Fred said, and then checked himself. He looked at Harry and said, "Huh?"

"I want you to kiss her," Harry said with a hard tone.

"I don't under-"

Harry cut Draco off. "Just kiss her!"

Draco shook his head. "What the-"

Again, Harry interrupted, this time, his voice as cold as ice, "Damn it, Draco, kiss her! NOW!"

Without fully understanding why, Draco spun back to Hermione and pulled her close. Before he could bend down to kiss her, though, she pulled back and said, "We don't have time for this. Justice is right behind me. We have to go!"

"Kiss her!" Harry repeated for the fifth time. "Do it!"

Draco yanked Hermione close once more and bent his head toward hers. He brought his lips down and touched them to hers. After a moment of hesitation, he deepened the kiss, letting everything he was feeling flow through him to her. Only something was not right. Hermione was kissing him back, but it was all wrong.

He pulled away from her and took a few steps back. "You aren't Hermione. Who are you?"

"She's Justice," Harry said confidently.

"No," she denied desperately. "I'm Hermione. I don't understand what Harry means, but I'm Hermione."

"No," Draco said with a small shake of his head. "You aren't. Where's Hermione? What have you done with her?"

"I am Hermione!" she insisted, tears running down her cheeks. "Why do you keep saying I'm not me?"

"Polyjuice Potion can make anyone look like another person," Harry barked coldly. "You are nothing like Hermione though you may temporarily look like her."

The woman, or rather, Justice, suddenly gave up the pretense. Her lips curled into a snarl and she said, "What gave me away?"

"Hermione would not have wanted us to run from Justice," Harry said, perfectly willing to talk. "She would have wanted him brought to," he smiled with a trace of irony, "justice, so that she was free to live her life without worry once again."

"Ah," Justice smiled, the lips of Hermione bending upwards satirically. "I see my mistake now."

Draco made to move in on her, but she brandished her wand. "No, no, please stay where you are. I don't want to have to kill you and your friends, if I don't have to."

"Where's Hermione?" Draco demanded in a low growl.

"She's…alive, for now," Justice replied obtusely. "If you want her to stay alive for a while longer you will tell your friend there to put away his wand."

Harry looked sharply over at Fred who had been trying to extract his wand from his robes. He said, "Put it away Fred."

Draco did not take his eyes off Justice but said in a low warning voice, "Fred!"

He could tell by the way Justice smiled that Fred had complied. Draco said harshly, "Why are you doing this?"

"Oh, that's something you will never know," Justice assured him. "It's a little secret I will forever keep inside me."

No one had a chance to say more because just then, Justice raised the wand she was holding and there was a sudden blinding flash right before Draco felt himself flung backwards. His back hit the wall; his head rebounded off and hit it twice. Dazed and close to blacking out, he did not see Justice slip from the room and vanish from sight.

He must have passed out, because the next thing he knew Harry was standing over him asking him if he was okay. "Draco? Hey, Draco, are you all right?"

Draco moaned and reached up to touch the spot on the back of his head where it had hit the wall. There was a large lump there, but thankfully, it had not broken skin. He said with a groan, "I'm fine. Did he get away?"

Helping Draco up, Harry said with a large amount of regret, "Yeah. She, or rather Justice in Hermione's image, blasted us all back and blinded us as extra insurance. Fred broke an arm but that's the worst of the injuries as far as I can tell, unless you have something more?"

"No," Draco told him. "Just a very nasty bump on the head."

"I think George should take Fred back to the penthouse," Harry said. "Ginny's got a gentle enough touch at healing. You and I are going onward. I don't think he's left the warehouse, which means we'll have to keep looking but with more caution."

Fred interrupted at this point. "I'm not going back. George and I are going with you."

With some reluctance, Draco had to agree. "I think it's better if all four of us go after him, Harry. I know Fred's hurt, but I don't think we should take the chance of Justice getting the upper hand because you and I want to play the hero."

"I'm not playing the-"

George winced and cut off Harry before he could start to rant. "Bad choice of words there, mate," he told Draco. To Harry he said, "I don't think Draco meant that as an insult. I mean he did lump himself into that category."

Draco looked at Harry, who looked offended. "Oh, sorry, Harry. Fred's right, I didn't mean anything by what I said. I only meant that we'd have better luck if we kept our forces up rather than sending half away."

Harry did not say anything, which prompted Fred to say, "You'll have to forgive Harry, Draco. Back when Voldemort was rising to power again, people had this insane idea that Harry liked being the hero and the star." At Harry's dark look, Fred said quickly, "He didn't, of course, but you couldn't convince some people of that fact."

Draco nodded slowly, partly because his head was throbbing. "I was one of those people," he admitted softly. "I changed my mind though and realized that no one would want Harry's life if it meant losing your parents and other loved ones."

To Harry he said, "I truly am sorry and meant no offense."

Harry continued to say nothing for a minute more but then said his voice gruff, "I'm sorry as well. It's a touchy subject with me, but even so, I shouldn't have bitten your head off like a rabid dragon."

"So," Fred said a little too cheerfully, "shall we press on?"

Draco and Harry continued to eye each other for a moment, and then they both nodded.

George sighed in a relieved sort of way. "Great, let's go then."

They went.

A/N: I know, I know, you all hate me for this chapter. My beta practically ripped my head off after reading this chapter. Sorry, it's the way it had to end. Cliff Hanger Queen! Okay, so I'm not royalty but everyone is always leaving reviews that I love to leave you all hanging and that name sort of has a nice ring to it, don't you think? Never mind, I'm rambling. Have a great day, hope you at least enjoyed the chapter even if you hated the ending.


	28. Chapter 28

-1Chapter Twenty-Eight

Feverish

"One more damn door and I swear, I'm going to Reducto this place into rubble," Fred muttered meaningfully as the foursome entered a large, rather open room.

"Yeah, that's real helpful, Fred," George growled in a tense voice. "Kill us and anyone else inside as well."

Before an argument could start, Harry snapped, "Shut up, the both of you! This room isn't like the others. I think we've reached the main floor of the warehouse."

"I really don't care what room we've reached," Fred muttered under his breath. "As long as it finally leads us to Hermione or that crackpot Justice. Preferably, both."

Draco ignored them and looked around. He saw crates stacked in piles of three on one side and machines of different sizes on the other. However, he did not see any new doors. He looked back at Harry and said, "There aren't any more doors."

"Which only means we can't see them," Harry remarked tiredly. "We'll have to spread out and check every inch of the wall."

"Spread out, but keep everyone in sight," Draco ordered. "I don't think it's a good idea to lose sight of each other."

"No," Harry agreed. "That wouldn't be a goo-"

"Harry? Draco?"

Harry started at the sound of Hermione's voice and looked around. Draco did the same and saw a woman cautiously step from the shadows at the other end of the room. She had been hiding behind a large stack of crates. As she came into view all four men raised their wands and pointed them in her direction. She stopped walking, surprise written all over her face at their obvious mistrust.

In a halting voice, she said, "What…what are you doing?" In the next breath, she moaned and said, "Oh God, you aren't… No, I won't let you capture me again."

She turned to run but Draco flourished his wand and brought her to a screeching stop. She whimpered softly but with soft determination she said, "I won't ever give you what you want, so you might as well kill me now."

Fred said, "Do you reckon it's another ploy?"

Draco shook his head, unsure. "I don't know. Harry?"

Harry was looking at Hermione, his expression unreadable. "I can't be sure. It looks like her, it even sounds a little more like the Hermione I know, but…I don't know."

"Should we have Draco kiss her?" George inquired not without a little humor.

At this, Hermione's head snapped up and she glared hard at Draco. "Who did you kiss and why did you kiss her?"

Draco did not answer, but George did. "He kissed you, only it wasn't you so…"

Fred picked up the rest of George's sentence, "So, what worked last time should work again, right?"

"Maybe," Draco said quietly. "Only I don't relish the idea of kissing her again. I mean, if she's not Hermione, that means she's Justice, only Justice is a man, and I don't really want to kiss a man."

Hermione's amber eyes seemed to burn into him. "_You kissed another woman. You kissed her!"_

Draco actually took a step back. "Harry?"

"I don't think kissing her is the answer this time," Harry replied. "If it's Hermione, I mean the real Hermione, than she's likely to bite your lips off. If it's Justice, well you said it all when you said Justice was a man."

Draco looked over his shoulder and glowered at Harry. "That didn't seem to cause you any qualms when you demanded I kiss her last time."

"Yeah, well, I didn't think about that part then," Harry admitted sheepishly. "But now that you've mentioned it, I don't think kissing her is the way to go this time."

Hermione shrieked in disgust. "You aren't ever kissing me again, Draco Malfoy. With or without Harry's permission. And tell me why you all keep thinking I'm not Hermione. I can't possibly be anyone else."

"Yeah, that's exactly what Justice would say," George told her.

Draco said to Harry, "Ask her something only Hermione would know."

Harry racked his brains for something to ask while Fred and George continued to snicker in the background. Finally, he said, "What did you discover in our fourth year that we've never told anyone?"

Hermione actually rolled her eyes and snorted. "First of all, Harry, there are a lot of things that question can pertain to so you'll have to narrow that down a bit. Second, if you two twittering morons don't stop that racket, the next time Ginny hexes you, I'll make sure she does a splendid job. Thirdly, I would appreciate it if, since I don't have a wand, the four of you would stop pointing yours at me."

Her comment about Ginny convinced Fred and George that she really was Hermione. They both immediately fell silent. Harry and Draco, however, were not so easily convinced. Harry said one name, "Rita Skeeter."

Hermione actually laughed before answering, "She was an unregistered Animagus. Her animal, or rather, her bug shape was a beetle."

Harry started to lower his wand, but Hermione said, "You can't be serious. Any number of people could have figured that out over the years. Please don't tell me that something so easily learned by others actually convinced you I'm me? Well, I am me, but if you have doubts, you should come up with something only I would know."

Harry started to bring his wand back up but stopped midway. He cocked a head at Hermione and smiled. "You may be right about someone else learning about Skeeter, but only the real Hermione would berate me for acting like an idiot in such a subtle way."

Draco, however, was still looking rather dubiously in Hermione's direction. She saw his look and said, "What? Are you still not sure of whom I am? Hey, what are you doi-"

Draco had moved forward so swiftly that Hermione barely had time to react before he was kissing her. Fred and George whistled while Harry laughed. A moment later Draco pulled away and said, "Yep, it's Hermione."

Hermione raised a hand to slap him, but Draco caught her wrist in his hand. When she lifted her other hand to do the same he captured that one as well. "You aren't hitting me for that. It was the only way I could be sure."

"You could have asked me something only we know," Hermione yelled at him.

"Like what?" Draco said. "There's noting between us that's secret."

"You could have asked me about that night in your office," Hermione murmured under her breath so only Draco would hear.

He grinned and said, "I could have, but I didn't think about it."

"Well," Hermione snapped, this time loudly so everyone could hear. "Next time, use you brain or don't you have one?"

Draco did not get a chance to reply as Hermione seemed to sway in front of him right before falling forward into his chest. Alarmed he said, "Hermione?"

Weakly she said, "Sorry, I'm… I'm okay. I just got a little light-headed, that's a-"

She passed out. Draco lifted her into his arms and turned to the others. "I think the hunt for Justice will have to wait just a little while longer."

They all agreed. It took them less time to leave the warehouse than it had getting inside, and they were soon on their way back to Draco's. Harry paused before Apparating back to Draco's, turned to the building, and with a flick of his wrist was gone.

Hermione was not well at all; as they all learned after arriving at Draco's and Ginny had looked her over. She came out of Draco's room, where he had put Hermione on his bed, and sank into her husband's lap. Everyone was looking anxiously her way, but she took her time answering their inquisitive looks. She settled herself into Harry's arms and snuggled up against his chest before looking directly at Draco.

"She's sick," Ginny said softly. "She's running a high fever and everything I've tried to bring it down fails. I don't know what that sadistic, insane jerk did to her, but I can tell you she has bruises all up and down her body as if someone beat the hell out of her. Her wrists and ankles are scraped almost completely raw, which will take a few weeks to heal even with potions and bandages. She has a few cuts on her legs and one on her back that are also serious as well as numerous smaller cuts all over her body. Most of her injuries will just take time to heal, but what concerns me is her fever."

"Should I call for a Medi-Wizard?" Draco asked worriedly.

Ginny nodded, but said, "Yes, but whatever you do, don't let them take her to St. Mungo's. She's better off here, with us."

"Don't worry," Draco, said standing up and striding over to a small desk in the corner of the room. "I have a private Medi-Wizard who will make a house call."

The Healer arrived less than an hour later but when he came out of the room, he did not have good news as they had hoped. Though he looked at Draco, he spoke to the room when he said, "She's in bad shape, Draco. I won't ask how she got that way; it's not my business and I don't want to know, but I can't bring her fever down any more than Mrs. Potter was able too. Something inside her is causing the fever, but I can't pinpoint what it is. Everything I know and have tried seems to bounce off her."

He paused and looked at everyone who gathered there. He said, "I'm an old Healer, but I'm not so closed minded that I'm fearful of new methods of healing."

"What are you saying?" Draco asked in a hoarse whisper.

"Take her to a Muggle hospital, Draco," the healer said kindly. "Maybe, with all their odd machines and contraptions, they'll find what we can't."

After he was gone, no one moved or said a word. Not able to take the glum silence a second more, Abby asked in a demanding voice, "Why are we all still sitting here? We have to get Mum to a hospital."

"Abby," Charlie started to say but did not finish.

Draco suddenly stood and left the room without a word. Abby looked away from Charlie, glanced briefly at the crowd of others before taking off after Draco. Draco strolled with purposeful long strides into the bedroom. He yanked a light blanket from the back of a chair in the corner and went over to where Hermione lay, shivering and burning at the same time.

He bent over her, whispered something in her ear, brushed her brow and kissed her lightly on the cheek. She hardly stirred at his touch, too weak to move or talk. Draco gently wrapped the blanket around Hermione, lifted her in his arms and turned to leave. He came to an abrupt halt at the sight of Abby, Aria, Harry, Ginny, Fred, George, Charlie, Bill, Neville, Isabelle and Percy standing in his bedroom doorway.

Gruffly he said, "Move out of my way!"

"Where are you taking her?" Harry asked cautiously.

"To a Muggle hospital," Draco retorted. "I'm not going to sit back and do nothing while she burns with a fever. Magical Healers can't help her so we'll see if the Muggle ones can."

Draco entered the hospital by double doors marked, '**Emergency Department**,' in bold black letters. His arms were aching from carrying Hermione for five blocks before Abby suggested they flag a cab. The cab driver had vehemently refused to allow all thirteen passengers into his car though, which had almost caused an uproar before Harry calmly suggested hailing a second cab. In the end, however, it had taken three of the cars to get everyone to the hospital. Draco, with Hermione in his arms, Abby, and Harry had gone in one cab, while Aria, Ginny, Fred and George had filed into the second one and Bill, Percy, Isabelle and Neville filled the third.

Draco approached a desk where a young, plump woman was sitting. The sign above her head said, 'Sign in here for Emergency Treatments.'

The woman looked up as Draco came closer. He glanced at her shirt, where the idea badge was clipped. It stated that her name was Melissa and that she was a triage nurse. Draco stepped up and thinking even as he spoke, said, "My wife's been injured and now she's running a fever, she needs to see a…"

Draco's voice failed him just then; he had no idea what a Muggle healer was called. Harry whispered in his ear and Draco said, "She needs to see a doctor."

"I see," nurse Melissa said kindly. "I will need some information from you, but first, let's get your wife a room where a doctor can examine her."

She stood up and said to Draco, "If you would please follow me."

Draco came around the desk and started after the nurse. She turned, as if she wanted to say something to him, but suddenly stopped a look of utter bewilderment on her face. She blinked once and Draco realized, without having to look back, that she was staring at the group of people behind him. She recovered from her surprise and said her tone still sweet but stern, "I'm sorry, but not all of you can come in here, at least not yet. If only her husband will come this way I will be come back shortly and show you all where you can wait."

Harry nodded, but before he could say anything Abby said, her tone rather icy, "I will not wait out here. That's my Mum and I want to be with her."

Melissa's eyes went wide for a minute, but a second later, her smile was back in place. "Of course you do, dear. You may come back here with your father and mother, but I must insist that the remainder of your party wait here."

Harry nodded again and said with a hint of warning, "We'll be here; we aren't going anywhere."

"Very well," Melissa said. "Please, sir, come this way."

Draco followed Melissa, who led him down a short hall painted a bright yellow. She opened a door and said, "Here we are. Place your wife on the stretcher there and I will be right back."

"How soon will the, er, doctor be able to see her?" Draco asked, his voice cracking slightly.

"I will go get him right now," Melissa said in a sympathetic tone. "You also have to go over some papers with me so that we have you and your wife's information."

Draco nodded once and Melissa left the room. He carefully laid Hermione down on the odd shaped bed that Melissa had indicated. He could feel the heat coming off her in waves. He wondered if he should remove the blanket he had her wrapped in because it was only adding more warmth to her already to hot body. He was not sure if he should remove it, either. She was hot to the touch but she was also shivering uncontrollably as if she were freezing.

Abby came over and slipped her tiny hand into his. "The doctors will make her better."

Draco looked down at Abby. She was so much like her mother and yet she looked so much like him. He sat down heavily in a chair near where Hermione was and gathered Abby in his arms. Abby had just snuggled into his shoulder when the nurse reappeared, a clipboard in hand.

She smiled warmly at them. "Doctor Riley will be here in just a moment. I'm afraid it's been a very busy day and he's just finishing up with another patient. While we wait, I think it's best if I get that information I need. Is that okay?"

Draco could only nod once.

"Good," she said. "Now, what is your wife's name?"

"Hermione Granger," Draco said, his brain a little muddled.

"And her date of birth?"

"September 19, 1979."

And, so the questions went, for what seemed like forever, to Draco. He answered what he could, Abby answered a few and when neither of them knew the answer, they merely gave Melissa blank looks. This did not seem to disturb her since she would simply nod her head, smile and mark the question as UK which she explained to Abby when she asked, stood for 'unknown'.

Draco was starting to think that the questions were never going to end and just as he thought that, the door opened and a tall man, with light brown skin entered. He smiled at Melissa before introducing himself to Harry. He held out his hand and said, "Hello, I'm Doctor Riley and you must be," he looked briefly down at the clipboard, "Mr. Granger."

Draco opened his mouth to correct the man but remembered that he had claimed to be Hermione's husband. He shook the doctor's hand and said, "Yes."

"Before I look at your wife, I just want to review the information you've provided Melissa. When I have done that, I might have a few more questions," he explained in a gentle melodic tone. "Melissa?"

She passed the clipboard over to him and Draco watched as his eyes flicked back and forth, as he read. When he was through he said, "Melissa, could you please take the young Miss Granger out into the waiting room, please."

He must have noticed that Abby was getting ready to protest because he smiled down at her and said, "My dear, I just want to talk to your father for a moment, alone. It won't take long and than you may come back in here, near your mother."

Draco said, "Go on, Abigail. It won't take long."

She looked like she wanted to argue but she clamped her mouth shut and allowed Melissa to lead her away. After they were gone, Riley said, "I'm going to examine your wife, Mr. Granger, and then we'll talk."

Dr. Riley went to Hermione and started his examination. He started with her head and worked down from there, lifting her shirt when he had to and even shifting her pants down, at which point, he asked Draco for assistance. When Dr. Riley was done, he covered Hermione with a sheet from a cupboard, took a seat on a round, wheeled stool and looked at Draco calculatingly.

"Mr. Granger, I must tell you that the extent of your wife's injuries concerns me a great deal," he said, his voice soft but without expression. "Can you tell me how she sustained these injuries?"

"I can," Draco said and added, "but I won't."

Dr. Riley looked at him for a long minute, his eyes hard. He said, "I have to tell you, Mr. Granger, that unless you can come up with a plausible reason your wife looks as she does, I will have to think that you did this to her. If that's the-"

Draco grabbed the man by the scruff of his lab coat and snarled, "I would never hurt Hermione. I may not be the nicest, gentlest human being on this planet, but I would rather die for her, not kill her. That may sound cheesy and false to you, but you have a waiting room full of people that will tell you the same thing, so don't ever suggest that I did this to her."

He removed his hand from the doctor, who cleared his throat, smoothed his shirt and lab coat out, looking, to Draco's surprise, unruffled. He said, his voice calm, "Mr. Granger, I meant no offense with my questioning, but I must know how Mrs. Granger came to have such horrible bruises and cuts."

Draco started to speak, but the doctor said, "If you can not provide me with satisfactory answers, Mr. Granger, it is my duty to involve the police. I have a responsibility to my patients, of which your wife is now one, to protect them when I am able. I hope that you can understand and respect this and tell me how your wife was injured."

With a heavy sigh, Draco ran a hand through his hair and thought about what the doctor was telling him. He knew what police were from his dealings with Leo, so knew that their involvement would complicate matters even further. At last, he made the decision to tell the doctor a version of the truth.

"Hermione's had a man following her," Draco began.

"A stalker?" Dr. Riley asked.

"Yes," Draco agreed. "This man claims Hermione wronged him, though she has never met him and has no idea who he is. Two days ago, she went missing and I only just found her this afternoon."

"Have you gone to the police about this man?" Dr. Riley asked briskly.

"No," Draco said. He changed his answer a second later, "Well, yes, but there's nothing they can do. We don't know who he is and have never actually seen him, so we don't know what he looks like. He calls himself Justice, but that is not his real name. We were trying to discover something more about him until two days ago when he kidnapped Hermione."

"This man, Justice," Dr. Riley said thoughtfully. "Just returned her to you, did he?"

Draco saw the suspicious glint in the man's gaze. He said, "No. Someone I know figured out where the man has been hiding. We went there and though he was long gone, Hermione was there."

Still looking skeptical Dr. Riley asked, "If I go and ask your friends, who are waiting, would they tell me the same story."

His anger rose back up a few notches but Draco replied shortly, "Yes."

"I'm sorry, but your story does seem rather iffy, at best," Dr. Riley said. After a moment of silent consideration he said, "I will be right back Mr. Granger."

Draco understood that to mean that he was going to question the others. Draco leaned back and waited for the worst to happen. Harry and the others had no idea of the half-truth he had just fed the doctor, which meant Riley would soon be calling the police. They could magic their way out of the hospital, but Draco did not want to leave without Hermione getting the help she desperately needed.

Of course, he could have just used a charm on the doctor, which would have made Dr. Riley believe the story Draco had told him. However, that would have required him to use his brain, which felt dull at the moment and incapable of clear thinking. Hermione would have thought of a more likely story even with a hazy mind. He looked over at her; she lay curled into a ball on her side. She moaned and he placed a hand on the small of back, offering silent comfort. She, almost immediately, fell back into the stupor of sickness that had overtaken her so suddenly.

He was considering taking her back out when Dr. Riley came back in the room. He said, "Well, Mr. Granger, I have no doubt that you and the small army of people that came with you, love this woman very much."

Draco could only stare at him stupidly. Dr. Riley said, "They tell me that this man has not only harmed your wife over the last few days, but that on a holiday to the America's he kidnapped your daughter."

Draco nodded unable to believe what he was hearing. "Yes, that's true."

"Well," Dr. Riley said the kindness of earlier returning to his voice. "I think it's best if we admit Mrs. Granger to the hospital so that we can better treat her. If she stays here I can perform a number of tests that will let me see what it is that has her temperature soaring and treat whatever it is. Do you have any objections to this course of action?"

Draco did not.

It took close to an hour for the hospital staff to admit Hermione. There were procedures to follow and paper work to fill out, as well as more questions to answer. After Hermione was in a private room on the Critical Unit, Draco and the others waited down the hall while the staff prepared her for bed. Draco was not sure what this entailed but he was too tired to protest or ask, so agreed to wait in a large waiting area down the hall from Hermione's room.

In the waiting room, he did think to ask Harry, "How the hell did you know what to tell the doctor? I was positive he was going to come back and tell me the police were on their way."

Harry nodded at Fred and George. "Those two have a handy little invention called Extendable Ears. We originally planned to use them in case you faltered in some way while dealing with the doctor and nurse, but you handled that very well."

"That's truly terrific, Harry," Draco said in an exhausted way. "But what exactly are Extendable Ears?"

"These," Fred said holding up a flesh colored object in the shape of an ear. "They've come in handy many times. Let's the user hear things from far away and even through closed doors."

"Anyhow," Harry said lightly. "We used them to hear what was going on inside that room. When the doctor came out to ask his questions, we knew exactly what to say."

"Handy invention," Draco admitted. "I'm glad you had them with you."

"Never leave home without one," George said brightly.

"Can I have a couple?" Aria asked.

Abby seconded the request, "Yes, I would like some as well."

"Ha," Ginny said smartly, though there was a smile on her lips as if to soften the blow. "You two don't need anything of the sort. You get into enough trouble without any help."

Abby and Aria moaned a little and tried to argue against Ginny's refusal to let George or Fred give them the Ears but in the end, Ginny won and the girls fell silent. It was not too long after that, that they fell asleep with Abby pressed up against Draco and Aria against Harry. Draco suspected that his baby sister had a tiny crush on Harry, but thought better of mentioning it for now.

An hour after the girls had fallen asleep, a thin, reedy looking woman came into the waiting room. She looked around and focused her attention on Draco. "Mr. Granger."

When Draco did not immediately answer, Harry kicked him, though not hard. "She's talking to you."

"Oh, right," Draco, said dumbly. "I'm sorry. What is it?"

"My name is Lorrie," She said softly. "I'm a nurse on this unit and I will be taking care of your wife for this shift. I was wondering if you would like to remain in her room with her or if you would be returning home?"

Draco wanted to stay with Hermione but then he looked down at Abby. It was probably better if he returned home with his daughter. Harry must have guessed what he was thinking because he said, "Stay, Draco. The others and I will take the girls home. We'll come back in the morning after we've all gotten some rest."

"Are you sure?" Draco asked, unsure.

"Yes," Ginny said, coming over and gently lifting Abby from Draco's lap. "We're sure."

Draco could not express his gratitude aloud, but Harry saw it in his eyes and said, "You're welcome."

Draco nodded once and followed the nurse out.

A/N: My beta, who is wonderful by the way, pointed out that this chapter was not as thought provoking as previous chapters. Although I happen to agree with her, there is a reason for this addition to the story. Hermione had to become sick for a reason, which will be revealed in another two, possibly three chapters. Justice is EVIL!

On another note, let me say something about the Muggle Hospital. I have no idea how the hospital's in England work. I have never left the US of A. However, I am a Clinical Nurse Technician so the hospital procedures mentioned in this story are based on what works at the hospital to which I am employed. The only implausible scenario is that of the doctor becoming convinced not to call the police. Trust me, if Draco had walked into my local hospital with that story, the police would have been called and Draco would have had to perform many memory charms. However, I couldn't very well allow Draco to get carted off to jail, now could I? So I fudged a few things. That's why fiction is great.


	29. Chapter 29

-1Chapter Twenty-Nine

Surprises Around Corner

Over the next few days, Draco started to think sleep was something from fairytale land. He felt drained, empty, and dead inside. Between staying at Hermione's bedside, caring for Abby and his relentless search for Justice, he found sleep hard to come by. The search for Justice, though still as fierce as it ever was, had taken a back burner to Hermione mysterious illness and his care of for Abby.

Hermione was not getting any better as the days slipped past one by one. In fact, she was getting worse and the doctors could not explain it. Hermione was no longer waking up for even short periods as she had her first couple of days in the hospital. Her breathing had become so labored that a nurse had given her a face mask that, she explained to Draco, "Will push air into her lungs so she doesn't have to labor so hard to breathe." The nurse, a different one from the first two, had called the machine a Bi-Pap Regulator and just watching it force Hermione's lungs to expand and retract had caused Draco to nearly break down.

Though Muggle doctors did not use potions, magical creams or even simple wand work, they did have other methods of detecting illness and disease. Only, Draco was starting to think the Muggle doctors were almost as clueless as the Healers at Saint Mungo's were. Instead of potions, the Muggle doctors had the nurses hang bags of different fluids to a machine near Hermione's bed, which then got injected into her body through something the nurses called IV's. These fluids kept Hermione's body from dehydrating, but because she was unable to get up to use the restroom, a nurse had come and inserted another tube to catch her urine.

On top of these horrific trials, Draco had to watch as a Clinical Technician came in every morning to take blood from Hermione's badly bruised arms. One of the CT's, a young woman who had been very nice to Draco, had taken the time to try and explain what the various blood test were all about. Draco's head had spun with all the information the CT had thrown at him. The names of the test were either too long to even think about or shortened into medical jargon that made no sense to Draco. Draco had heard such things as BMP, CMP, PT, APTT, CBC, MAG, Iron Titrates, and so many others that he had lost track.

Other times a person would come and introduce themselves as Transport Aides and would inform him that they were there to take Hermione down to such and such a floor for a variety of test. Most of these had also been shortened into initials that often made no sense to Draco and even when a nurse would explain the process of a certain type of procedure, he would become lost in the complexity of it all and soon after would forget everything he had just been told. He knew they had taken Hermione for things called X-rays, MRI's, CAT-Scans, Ultrasounds, EKG's and EEG's, but he could not say what any of these tests were supposed to tell the doctors.

Doctor Riley came by each morning to give Draco a report of what he had planned for that day, but often times, Draco was in such a dazed state that he was only able to nod his head. The doctor returned each evening to check on Hermione's progress, which never changed. He would also explain what that day's test had showed, which most times, was nothing at all. Riley encouraged Draco not to give up hope, that he was a hundred percent positive they would discover what was causing Hermione's strange illness, but that it would take time.

Draco, when he was feeling particularly low, had thoughts of removing Hermione from the hospital. However, he would come to his senses soon after and remain, faithfully at her side, wishing something would come of the next days test or that someone would pop into the room and exclaim, "Great news, we've discovered the problem!" Yet, as each day progressed and nothing of the sort happened, he became less hopeful and more discouraged.

Once a day, around noon, Harry and Ginny would come by with Abby. Harry would physically remove Draco from the hospital room and force him down into the basement where the cafeteria was. There, Harry would order something for Draco and watch with stern eyes as Draco ate every bite. After that, he would make Draco walk with him for a while. Draco knew Harry was being helpful and so did not complain after the first couple of times this happened. While Harry practically force fed Draco and walked with him, Abby and Ginny would sit with Hermione. When Harry and Draco would return, Draco would lift Abby into his arms and together they would sit there, without talking and comfort each other as they stared at Hermione's prone form.

Harry would return after seven and once again make Draco eat something, usually insisting he leave the hospital to have a bite at the small diner across the street. Harry would then return him to Hermione's side and sit with him for a spell, trying to lure Draco out of the slump he was falling into with talk about anything other than Hermione and her worsening condition. Though there were times Draco responded well, there were also times that, he would only sit and say nothing. At these times, Harry had seemed to understand that Draco needed nothing more than silent companionship. On those occasions, Harry would simply sit with Draco, offering silent comfort.

It was on Hermione's eighth day in the hospital that Doctor Riley came in with a frown on his face. Draco's heart lurched and he said, "What? What is it?"

Riley seemed to notice Draco only just then and with a hint of confusion he said, "Did you know your wife was pregnant?"

Draco's jaw must have dropped open, but he was unaware of it, though Riley was since he said, "I'll take that as a no."

"She's…" Draco could not say the words.

Riley nodded his expression compassionate. "Mrs. Granger is, as far as I can tell, almost two months pregnant."

"Are you sure?" Draco asked in stunned voice.

"Very sure," Riley assured. "One of the nurses noticed something on the monitor during Mrs. Granger's ultrasound two days ago. I ordered the test yesterday, but only just got the results back this morning. Usually, such a test takes only a couple of hours, but one of the labs machines was on the fritz yesterday and it did not get repaired until late yesterday evening."

He went on, though Draco heard only half of what he was saying. "See, the nurse, Nicole, reported her suspicions to me that day, but I felt it best to wait until I had the results before asking you about this. It is one of the questions on the admission forms, but when I reviewed this, I noticed that you had answered no. I thought it was possible you had simply not answered correctly since you were very distraught, but now I can see that you just were not aware."

"No," Draco agreed, shaking his head slightly. "I had no idea."

"Yes, well," Riley said, as he took a seat near Draco on his right. "Do you have any questions for me, now that you do know?"

Draco wanted to give the doctor a look that told him he was crazy, but did not. After all, how was he supposed to know if he had any questions; he had only just learned Hermione was pregnant and that alone had stunned his brain of any capabilities of clear thought. Nevertheless, he did think of something and asked, "Is this illness going to hurt the baby?"

"Oh, I don't think so," Riley said with some assurance. "I can't say for a hundred percent, but I truly think that what your wife has is a bacterial infection. We've been giving her antibiotics for this, but I'm afraid they aren't helping as I had hoped. I think there's something else going on; it's just a matter of discovering what that thing is and fixing it, you see?"

Draco did not see, but he held his tongue. He wanted Hermione to recover and he did not want to offend the doctor responsible for that recovery. He said, "Thank you, Doctor Riley."

Soon after that, the day started, which was just another repeat of the day before, as far as Draco was concerned. It was beginning to feel as if all his days were blending and he could no longer tell which day it was. At noon, when Harry, Ginny and Abby arrived, Harry did not have to prod Draco to go with him as usual. Harry did not mention this sudden change in Draco until they had taken seats in the cafeteria.

"What's going on?" Harry asked after they had ordered their food.

Without preamble, Draco said, "Hermione's pregnant."

Harry started and then leaned back into the booth. "Well, that's not what I expected to hear." 

Draco explained briefly, what Riley had told him and then said, "What if this illness she has harms the baby, Harry?"

"Draco," Harry said with a sigh. "We can't cross that bridge until we come to it. I know you're concerned, but I think it's better if we get Hermione well first."

"I…" Draco swallowed hard and then said, "I want her to get better, Harry. This is killing me."

For some reason Harry chuckled. When Draco looked at him with a hard expression, Harry said, "I'm not laughing at you, Draco. It's sometimes hard to see you in this way. I'm not used to it and sometimes it just hits me how very different you are from the boy you were."

Draco actually found his lips lifting into a small smile as he said, "Well, I can still be that nasty little bugger if you want."

"No," Harry denied with a small shake of his head. "That's all right. I like this Draco better."

"So do I," Draco said softly.

Hermione, though she tried, was unable to tell anyone around her that she was awake and could hear everything that was happening. However, though she was aware of this, she was unable to remain awake for more than a few minutes at a time. Her weakened and sickly body wanted sleep, and despite her wishes would force her brain to shut back down into oblivion.

She felt trapped in her own body, which terrified her and comforted her at the same time. It terrified her because she wanted to get well; she had things she had to tell Draco that she had put off for far too long. She also wanted to reassure Abby that everything was going to be okay. Hermione hated being sick and if she could she would tell the damn doctors to hurry up and cure her so she could get on with living.

Her feelings of comfort came from knowing, in her logical, no nonsense way, that her body and mind were doing what it had to do in order to heal her. She may not like it, but it was her body's way of protecting her from further harm. Hermione was thrilled that she had escaped Justice when she had, or she might not have had this chance to heal.

Hermione's major worry was that since she was unable to communicate what she was feeling, the doctors would miss something and she would become worse. She wanted, more then anything to tell someone that she was not in much pain except for her rib and stomach area. In that area, the pain could almost become unbearable at times, even with the pain medicines they were pumping into her through the IV.

She also knew that Draco had to be feeling lost inside this Muggle world of medicine and she wanted to tell him that it was not very mysterious or weird. She wanted to explain that, though Muggle medicine had different methods for healing, it would, in the end, help. She could only imagine what Draco was going through, but she had an idea that he was close to losing control, and that was not good.

The worst moment of her conscious and trapped state, however, came when the doctor came in that morning and told Draco about the pregnancy. She had come awake a second before the doctor had come into the room and had remained awake, long enough to hear him tell Draco. At that point, she had wanted to sit up and scream at the doctor that what he had just said was for her to tell Draco, not him. It was her secret to reveal, not his, but Hermione had only been able to lift her right finger.

Frustration had overwhelmed her then for her body's betrayal. The surge of anger and sorrow had sent her back into the void she went to every time her brain decided it was time to rest. When she had come awake again, it was to find Ginny and Abby in the room with her, while Draco was gone.

Marking the time was easy: all Hermione had to do was wait each day for Ginny, Harry and Abby to come and she knew it was mid-day. When Harry returned in the evening, she knew it was close to eight and it was after this that she let herself fall asleep without a fight. It was only during the bright light of day that she wanted to remain awake and aware.

Now, however, it was after midnight; she knew this because the nurse had come in minutes before and asked Draco why he was still awake at such an hour. His reply had been too low for her to hear and the nurse had not said anything more. She had, instead, come close to Hermione and checked on her before retreating out of the room.

Hermione did not know why sleep was suddenly eluding her after days of fighting it off. It was not because she felt any better because she felt the same as she had since the illness had struck like a deadly plague. Something more was bothering her, but she could not say what because she did not know. She settled into herself, relaxing her mind, deciding to let her thoughts wander. Maybe if she thought of nothing, she would discover what it was that had her awake for the first time in eight, almost nine, days.

Surprisingly, her thoughts drifted, not to Draco or Abby, but to Justice. She knew there was something about Justice that she knew, that was vital, but it was as if her memories of him were blocked. She tried to see what it was but every time she got close; it was as if a curtain came down, denying her access.

Justice!

Had he maybe put a curse on her and that was the reason she was so sick? Hermione considered this for only a moment before discarding the idea. If she had been cursed, the Healer Draco had brought in would have sensed it and she would be under his care, not in a Muggle hospital. She was positive that she was not under a curse.

Something else clunked into her thoughts just then. Justice had wanted something from her and at the time, Hermione could not figure out what. Now, as she remembered the doctor telling Draco about the baby she realized that Justice, insane and out of control, wanted her baby. No, that could not be right.

Hermione's expression changed into a puzzled expression, which if witnessed would have alerted that person to the fact that Hermione was awake, just unable to communicate. As it was, no one saw her and it went unnoticed.

If Justice wanted the baby, how was he going to get it? It was not as if he could transfer the fetus into himself. How did he propose to nourish and protect it for the next nine months? Hermione knew she had to be wrong, but Justice's words continued to echo inside her head. _" I I need what she has and she's…not willing to part with it as easily as I believed she would /I ."_ What had he meant if not the baby she carried? What else could she have that he would want from her that she was not willing to part with?

Hermione's memories of her time spent chained were scattered and hazy so she could not often be sure what was truth and what was the working of her tortured thoughts. She knew most of what she remembered was false or at least inaccurate because Justice had maliciously, though cheerfully, tortured her until her screams had stopped and she had gone limp.

However, after the onslaught of painful curses and hexes had subsided, Hermione had fallen into playing the unconscious victim which had led to Justice leaving her alone most of the time. This in turn had led to her ability to regain most of her senses, so she was positive that the memory of Justice talking to someone was a real one, which meant that he had claimed to want something from her; it was just a matter of figuring out what he wanted.

At long last, her over-worked brain was slipping away into sleep and Hermione found solace in that for the first time in over a week.

Draco was watching Hermione sleep from the cot the nurses had supplied. It was lower than the bed so he could not really see her face, but he could see her side and the rise and fall of her chest as she breathed. Around midnight, a nurse Draco had met before came in to check on Hermione. Her name was Melissa and Draco found her likable enough. 

Seeing that Draco was awake, she whispered loudly, "Why aren't you sleeping, Mr. Granger? You need your rest as well, you know. I don't want to have to treat you and your wife; that would be terrible."

Draco lifted a shoulder and said, "Just thinking. I'm sure I'll nod off soon enough." He faked a yawn and she smiled, satisfied.

When she was gone, Draco returned his attention to Hermione. He wished that she would give some sign of true life other than breathing. It was torturing him, that he could not help her. It was almost like having little knives shredding his insides. His constant vigil at her bedside was all he could do and that did not seem enough to him. He wanted to do more, he wanted her to wake, and he wanted to kill Justice for causing this to happen.

Draco had always known that Justice was insane. However, he now knew that Justice's mind twisted in ways that went beyond the insane, but a small part of Draco had felt sorry for the man. Something terrifically horrible must have caused the man to lose his mind, which was the reason, Draco believed, that Justice did what he did. It was also the reason Draco had not despised Justice though he wanted him gone from his, Hermione's and Abby's life.

Now, however, he was sure Justice had been born insane and that his mind had continued to warp with age. Now Draco felt nothing for Justice other than pure loathing and death, Draco felt, was almost too easy. Even so, he wished for this very thing daily and his whole heart. Justice had better hope that Draco was not the one to corner him because it would be him, not Draco, begging for mercy.

Draco's lips were plastered in a grim smile, but it lifted into something softer when he recalled what Riley had told him that morning. Hermione was going to have a baby, their baby! The thought thrilled him, terrified him, and angered him at once. He was overjoyed that she was pregnant since he planned on marrying her even if he had to have a Muggle shotgun wedding.

Of course, he would have to learn what that entailed, but he was sure it something to do with holding the bride or groom as hostage with a gun until they were married. He would just use his wand instead of one of those oddly shaped Muggle devices that shot bullets at terrifying speeds. He also knew, from research, that the guns caused a great deal of damage so he would stick to what he knew and that was his wand. Having more children with Hermione had always been his plan, however, so shotgun wedding or not, the thought of another little Abby on the way was exhilarating.

His terror over the news Riley had given him was two-fold. He was horrified at the idea that he might not make a good father. What if he was terrible at it and his children, Abby and the one on the way, winded up hating him? It was a deflating thought and one he did not want to dwell on for very long, so he let it go for now. He was also terrified that something would harm the baby since Hermione was so ill. What if Hermione's sickness caused her body to reject the infant? He did not want to think about that possibility either; it was simply too horrific to consider.

Anger was nothing to new to him, but he was trying to keep that emotion at bay. He was angry because no matter how he played it out inside his head, he knew that Hermione must have known before her kidnapping that she was pregnant. Had she planned to keep this child from him just as she had Abby? He did not like to think so, but he could not make himself stop thinking this way. He wanted to believe that Hermione had not yet gotten around to telling him and would have if Justice had not taken her.

He wanted to think this, but he had doubts. There were times, however, that he thought that his doubts were silly and unfounded. After all, Hermione could have been trying to work up a way to tell him and that was why she had not said anything. There was also the fact that she had to have known that this time it was going to be impossible to keep a pregnancy from him. She had plans to live in her parents home, plans to allow Abby to attend Hogwarts in another year. With that in plan, she had to have known he would learn of the baby, eventually.

Draco's thoughts were slowing down and his mind grew sleepier. His eyes were starting to close when Hermione suddenly sat up in the bed and said, "No, it can't be."

Draco jumped up from the cot and was half way to Hermione when she flopped back down and was once again asleep. This did not stop him from rushing over to her and saying, "Hermione?"

She did not open her eyes or react in any other way. Draco hesitated for only a moment more before going out to get one of the nurses. She had moved and that, as far as he was concerned, was a good sign.

"So, what you're saying," Harry said quietly so not to wake Hermione. "Is that she jerked upright in bed muttered that something wasn't right and then fell back out?"

Draco sighed. "I never took you for being dense, Harry; please don't start getting thick on me now."

Harry shook his head once and said, "I just want to understand what she said, Draco. It might mean something important."

"Even if it is," Draco replied, shoveling a mouthful of blueberry pie into his mouth, chewing and swallowing before going on, "It's not as if we can deduce much from what she did say, can we? She said and I quote, 'No, it can't be.' What can we possibly gain from that?"

"You're right," Harry agreed with a small sigh. "There's nothing in that sentence that can be useful. Damn, I wish they'd discover what's wrong with her. I want to catch Justice and…"

Harry cleared his throat and said, "Er, what I want to do is better left unsaid. Of course, I also want Hermione to get well for other reasons; she is my best friend."

Draco interrupted, "I know what you mean." He pushed the empty pie plate away. "I want her back with us as well for reasons that have nothing to do with Justice, but it would be nice to learn who he is."

"That is, of course, if Hermione has anything to tell us," Harry pointed out sagely.

"Well, I think she does," Draco replied. "She had to see the man after spending over two days in his, er, company, to put it lightly. Don't you think so as well?"

"I do," Harry said with a short nod. "But I also know that Justice is shrewdly clever. He might not have removed his hood in order for Hermione to see his face. He never removed it when he had Abby."

"You're right," Draco agreed. "Abigail seems to think he's disfigured in some way and that's why he keeps his face hidden."

"She may be right," Harry speculated. "But then again, it could only mean that he doesn't want anyone to know his face."

"There can be any number of reasons why he hides his face," Draco said. He waved a hand at the waitress so that she would bring him the check. "We won't know anything more until Hermione wakes, so there's really no reason to think on it, is there?"

"I suppose," Harry said as the waitress swept by and handed Draco the check. "I just don't know. I mean, at least with Voldemort, I knew who he was and what he looked like. Justice poses a completely different threat. We know next to nothing about him."

The two men paid for their meal and walked out of the small cafeteria. Draco said, "We know he's insane, cruel, smart and dangerous."

"That's not much if you think about it," Harry retorted. "What we don't know is what we need to know."

"Yeah, that I can agree with," Draco said as he punched the elevator's up button. "Well, we know his real name is not Justice. It can't be or else we would have discovered something more by now, don't you think?"

"Oh, definitely," Harry nodded his head. "That's something we need to know. Actually, if we had his real name, we could probably figure out the rest of it without to much more digging."

"What I don't understand is why Justice seems to believe Hermione stole his life," Draco said. They entered the elevator when the doors slid open and Draco hit the number four button. "He's seriously twisted. A person can't steal someone's life and Hermione would never do so even if it were possible."

"No, she wouldn't," Harry said agreeably. "But what does he mean by saying that she stole his life. Does he mean that she did something that prevented him from living, as he wanted or something else? To be honest, I don't know what else he could mean by it."

"The only thing that has come to me is that Justice is an ex-Death Eater and wants revenge on Hermione for her part in Voldemort's defeat," Draco said musingly. "But even that's a stretch if you consider that the truth of the matter is it was you that brought Voldemort down, not Hermione. In the end, Hermione and anyone else that fought along side of you had very little to do with any of it."

"Well, everyone deserves credit because without their support, I would have lost," Harry replied modestly. "I didn't fight the war all by myself. However, I understand what you're saying. I'm the one who ended it by offing Voldemort so it would stand to reason that it would be me Justice would want revenge on, but since that's not the case, there's a piece of the puzzle we're missing."

"Hell, we're more than missing it, someone's gone and Obliviated it," Draco commented dryly. He then said, "Logic is what leads us to believe everything we've just said, but I don't think logic plays a role in Justice's head. For some reason he thinks of you as a friend and has targeted Hermione as the enemy. "

Harry and Draco paused outside of Hermione's room, neither one wanted to continue the conversation inside the room because Abby was in there. Harry said, "Yeah, that's something else that doesn't fit into the Death Eater seeking revenge theory. Any Death Eater, even one who has gone crazy and has decided that Hermione is the greater threat, would not think of me as a friend to his cause."

"Nothing about any of this had made much sense from the start," Draco replied. "He took Abigail because he claims she belonged to him. Before I was certain she was more daughter, I thought it was a possibility that Justice was her father, but that idea lasted only a couple of days since it became glaringly obvious that Abigail was mine."

Harry grinned. "Glaringly obvious, huh?"

"Shut up, Harry," Draco said though without any real heat. "After our return home and we all received those letters, it was apparent that Hermione was the real target, though Abigail was still a part of it all. So then, I started thinking of known escaped Death Eaters, even if the final thought there is that it should be you, not Hermione as the potential victim. But, as we've just said, even this theory doesn't hold much water. I'm at a loss."

"Me too," Harry said helplessly. "In the end, we'll have to hope that Hermione knows who Justice is."

"Yeah," Draco replied softly. "That's the hope."

It was not until three days later that Riley came into the room looking positively cheerful. Draco sat up straighter as did Harry, Ginny and Abby when they spotted the look of pleasure on the doctors face. He said, quite cheerfully, "I have wonderful news."

Harry impatiently asked, "What?"

"I was reviewing the X-ray films with the Radiologist and we spotted something that the previous doctor missed," Riley stated, still with a silly grin on his face.

"What do you mean something that was missed?" Ginny demanded.

"Well, the doctor who first looked over Mrs. Grangers X-rays is fairly new and he…" The doctor trailed off and said, "It's not an excuse so I will just tell you what we discovered."

"Then do so," Draco grumbled.

"Doctor Stryker and I were going over the films, as I've said," Riley said, clearing his throat. "We noticed a black area around your wife's lungs, Mr. Granger, as well as a broken rib. Upon closer inspection, we saw that the broken rib had turned back into her lung, causing a small hole there."

"This is what's causing her illness?" Draco asked skeptically.

"Oh no," Riley said with a swift shake of his head. "No, that's the reason for her breathing difficulties. I have called in a specialist who will be here shortly. When she arrives, we will be taking Mrs. Granger down to the operating room so that we can repair her lung and fix the rib back into the correct angle."

Draco was close to snarling but he managed to keep his tone even when he asked, "If the damage to her lung and rib is not the cause of her illness, what is, or are you still undecided about that?"

Riley's smile returned and he said, "That's the rest of the great news I have. The results of the bacterial blood work I ordered came in this morning. Your wife contracted a rare infection that is the result of coming into close contact with less than hygienic animals, such as rats."

"Rats?" Draco repeated stupidly.

"Yes, rats," Riley, agreed. "I can only assume that wherever she was, there were rats nearby or something just as nasty."

"Why is that the Hea-?"

Harry quickly overrode what Draco was going to say by asking, "So what do you have to do now that you know what is causing Hermione to be so ill?"

"Oh, it's simple enough to cure," Riley assured them all. "Like I said, she'll have surgery this morning to correct the rib and repair the lung. Doctor Rachael Hicks is an excellent surgeon so there will be nothing to worry about there. When Doctor Hicks has accomplished that much, we'll bring Mrs. Granger back here at which point we'll start her on a cocktail of antibiotics that will have her up and about in no time at all."

Draco was about to say something more, but Riley smiled at him and said, "Not to worry, Mr. Malfoy, the drugs will not harm the-" 

This time Draco stopped the doctor from completing his thought a loud. "I understand that much, Doctor Riley. I was merely going to ask how long the medicine would need before we started seeing results."

"Ah," Riley said, looking slightly puzzled over Draco's hasty interruption. "At least a day." 

"That quickly," Ginny asked in surprise.

"Yes, miss, that quickly," Riley, said.

He left soon after this and it was after he was gone that Draco asked Ginny to take Abby down for a light snack. She understood that he wanted to talk with Harry without Abby around to hear the conversation, so agreed, but said as she left, "I'll want a report later, Harry dear."

He grinned, blew her a kiss and said, "I knew you would."

When Ginny and Abby were gone Draco said, "Why couldn't a Healer sense a broken rib, a damaged lung and a simple infection?"

"Because Justice knew Hermione was ill, knew it, and wanted her to die from it," Harry replied grimly. "He couldn't finish her off himself because we found his hidey-hole so he decided to make it impossible for a Healer to cure her. He used some sort of blocking spell." 

"He never thought we would take her to a Muggle facility so did not think his plan was in danger of failing," Draco added, catching on to what Harry was saying.

"Right," Harry said. "I don't think he considered Muggle doctors at all, which tells me that he's more ignorant of the Muggle world than most wizards and witches."

"How is that…?" Draco started to ask how that was possible but stopped. "Never mind. My mother has only basic knowledge of Muggles so I can see how some wizards or witches might be completely clueless."

Harry had nothing to say about Mrs. Malfoy's ignorance; instead he said, "Whatever else we can deduce from what we know, will have to wait until Hermione comes around, which we now know, won't be very much longer."

Draco smiled and there was a mingling of relief and joy in that one small gesture. "Yes, she's gong to be okay."

"No!" Justice cried in denial. "You're lying."

The woman smiled evilly as she said, "I'm not. She's going to be fine. She's starting to wake up, though she's still weak and has trouble talking."

"This is your fault," Justice accused. "You let them question the hag, that filthy good for nothing hag. If you had stopped them, if you had-"

"I warned you," the woman retorted without remorse. "I told you that they had captured her but you said there was nothing to worry about."

"What good are you?" Justice snapped. "You and your claims that this is my destiny, what good are you to me? You've done nothing to help me achieve this destiny. You sit back, idly, as I do all the work. You are useless."

The woman seemed unperturbed by Justice's anger. She said, "There's nothing you can say that will bother me. It's not as if you can get rid of me. You need me-"

She was flung backwards into a stack of old furniture piled into a corner. Justice walked over the unconscious woman and looked down with a smile. A creepy expression of pleasure was there, under the hood. "I need no one, least of all you."

Justice kicked the woman's body and walked away. Plans did not invent themselves.

A/N: Twists, turns and surprises. Okay, it's not as dramatic as all that but I loved this chapter. Many of you may not agree but what can I do about that? Nothing! Revelations coming soon.


	30. Chapter 30

-1Chapter Thirty

Copies of the Same

They all agreed, though never said, that grilling Hermione about her time in Justice's twisted hands would wait until she had her full strength back. That was much sooner than anyone thought since four days after Riley's news, she left from the hospital. Riley declared her 'fit as a fiddle' and 'right as rain,' both of which Draco thought was seriously overrated considering Hermione still looked a little ragged to him.

There was, however, no denying the fact that she was much stronger, even if the dark circles under her eyes and stringy hair suggested otherwise. She was not tiring out as quickly as she had and she was walking around without assistance from a nurse or Draco. Her mood was improving as well, though Draco sometimes caught a troubled expression on her face when she did not think anyone was watching her.

Every time Draco saw Hermione looking distant and haunted, he wanted to comfort her, but more than anything he wanted to tear Justice apart. Draco knew, without having to ask, that Justice was the reason Hermione looked pale and withdrawn whenever she was alone for too long. Whatever Justice had done to her and left her with lasting memories that, even Draco, understood would take time to heal.

Harry's advice, which Draco planned to take, was to give Hermione time and just be there for her. "When she's ready to talk, she will," Harry had assured Draco the night before Hermione was discharged.

Draco was going to wait for Hermione to want to talk, but his patience for locating and ending Justice would not. He was impatient to the point that he snapped at Hermione when she said she wanted to have lunch before they talked.

"I know that we have to have a discussion," she said, looking at Harry, Ginny and Draco in turn. They had just gotten to Draco's and Hermione was sitting at the kitchen table. "But I would really like it if I could have a decent meal before we have to have that talk. Hospital food is not the most appetizing, and after five days of it, I would like something that has a tad more flavor."

Draco's emotions, over the last two weeks, had gone up, down and all around one to many times and he barked, "Why not eat and talk? This can't wait for to much longer. Not only are Abby and Aria returning soon from my mother's house, but Justice is still out there, plotting his next move."

Hermione eyed Draco wearily. Her tone was hard, but soft when she said, "I need a few minutes to, um…I need time, just a small amount, to get my head around the events of the last few weeks, Draco. I'm asking for that time while we have a light meal."

"You have the meal," Draco stormed. "I'll be in my office when you're finally ready."

Draco had instantly regretted his harsh attitude, but with everything that had happened, he was at the edge and close to losing his mind. He stomped into his office, slamming the door behind him.

Out in the kitchen Hermione jumped and looked hopelessly at the spot where Draco had only just stood. Ginny came around and sat beside her. She slipped a comforting hand into Hermione's and said, "He's not upset with you, not really. It's more that he wants this thing with Justice to end."

"Not to mention that he was pretty torn up when you were missing," Harry added in gentle tones. "He's blaming himself. I think he thinks he could have protected you better. Then, when we did find you and you became so ill, well, let's just say Draco's not one to handle an emotional upheaval such as the one he's received very well."

Hermione nodded to indicate she understood, but there was still a sad, hollow look in her eyes as Ginny started the meal and Harry left to check on their children briefly.

As Ginny cooked, she kept up a running commentary about anything that did not involve Justice.

At one point, as she was talking about how her son had decided to use blue die in his bath water, Hermione mumbled something. Ginny turned to her and said, "Sorry, I didn't hear that?"

"Justice wants the baby," Hermione repeated quietly.

"Excuse me!" Ginny exclaimed. When Hermione looked at her in annoyance, Ginny waved a hand wildly and said, "I heard you that time. I'm just not sure I understand what you mean or how you can think he wants the baby."

Hermione looked miserable for a moment, and then she straightened her shoulders. Though her voice was shaky, she said clearly, "He nearly killed me, Ginny, but at the last second he stopped. I didn't understand it, even when I heard him talking to someone about wanting, no needing, something from me. Something that I was unwilling to part with as easily as he had hoped."

Ginny stopped cutting up the bread and came over to sit next to Hermione. "I think this should wait until Harry is back and Draco is in here. They'll want to hear this, Hermione."

Hermione nodded weakly and said, "Okay." She stood up and as she did she said, "I'm not so hungry any more, Ginny. I'm sorry."

Ginny dismissed it with a small hand gesture. "It's fine. We can have the meal for dinner."

"I think I'm going to have a seat in the living room," Hermione told Ginny. "When Harry gets back, let Draco know I'm ready to talk."

Ginny nodded and watched Hermione leave the kitchen. She thought about it for only a second before strutting down to Draco's office. Without knocking, she entered the room. Draco was sitting at his desk, his head hanging low, which made him appear defeated. She walked slowly to the chair across from him and sat down. She waited until Draco looked up to acknowledge her before saying, "We have to talk, Draco."

"If you're here to tell me what a snake I've been, then I've got you beat," Draco said with an awkward grin. "I shouldn't have snapped at Hermione, I know that - Why are you shaking your head at me?"

"That's not why I'm here," Ginny explained. "I'm here for another reason."

"What would that be?" Draco asked, hesitantly cautious. Ginny was a nice person, but he knew from experience and observation that she was not someone to have as an enemy.

"Justice physically harmed Hermione, we know that," Ginny started. "All we had to do is look at her and see that, but all that will heal. Even if a few small scars will remain permanently etched into her skin, she's healing. It's the emotional scars that concern me."

"What do you mean?" Draco asked with concern.

"We don't know…I know we think we have an idea of what Justice put Hermione through," Ginny replied. "But, in reality, we don't know the full horror of what she's been through. She was in his clutches for over two days and a lot of pain and torture can happen in that amount of time."

"Why are you telling me this?" Draco asked, trying to keep his tone even. "Don't you think I know all this? It's been eating at me since Justice took her. I can't stop thinking about it. Damn it, Ginny, I have nightmares about it and it -"

"Stop, Draco!" Ginny cut in loudly. "I'm not telling you this because I don't think you care. I think you care a great deal, more than I ever thought you were capable of caring. I'm telling you this because I have a feeling she's not going to tell us everything because you will be there."

"So you want me to what…vanish until she's had her say?" Draco demanded, ready to argue against this.

"No," Ginny said with a shake of her ginger head. "I know you would refuse even if that is what I wanted. No, what I want you to do is act cold and hard when Hermione tells her story."

This so surprised him that he said, "Huh?"

Ginny smiled slightly. "Look, even though Hermione doesn't want to admit it, at least not out loud, she loves you a great deal. When she starts talking, she's going to, carefully judge each word. She's not going to want to hurt you in any way and this, hearing what Justice did to her, will cause you some pain. That's something she's going to try to avoid which means she'll hold things back and we can't let her do that."

"How-?"

"Listen to me!" Ginny snapped, losing patience. "You have not hidden how you feel for Hermione very well in the last few weeks. I suspected what was going on a long time ago but…Well, that's neither here nor there. What's important is that when Hermione starts talking, you keep whatever it is you may feel at what she says from showing. She can't know just how much it hurts you. You'll have to - how should I put this? - channel the old, hateful Draco we all knew in school. When she looks at you, she can't see the pain and hurt that her story will cause you. Do you understand?"

Draco nodded slowly because he did understand. His concern however, was how Hermione would feel at this approach from him. He said as much to Ginny. "I'm not sure, but don't you think this will cause her to think I don't care?"

"At first it will," Ginny admitted. "But you can fix that little drawback later, after she's done telling us everything."

"I don't want to give her any reason to pull further away from me, Ginny," Draco said with a slight quiver to his voice.

"I give you this promise, Draco; If Hermione doesn't let you explain your actions for today, I will tell her that it was my idea. If that doesn't work, I'll hex her until she sees the right of things."

Draco smiled despite himself and said, "Don't use the Bat-Bogey Hex, please. That's one powerful spell when you perform it."

Ginny actually giggled softly and said, "Yeah, so I've been told."

It took Harry nearly an hour to return. He explained upon his return, "I swear, Kevin's channeling some of your brothers' because he can find mischief as if he were a magnet for the stuff. When I got there I found him in the living room, trying to catch Scratchy."

"What's so bad about that?" Draco asked curiously.

"He wanted to catch the cat so he could paint him red," Harry replied dryly.

"Oh no," Ginny groaned. "Please don't tell me he managed to find my dyes again? I've hidden them ten times so far and each time he still manages to find them."

Harry said, "He found them for the eleventh time then, because that's what he had. He told me he thought Scratchy would look better if he were red."

"That boy's going to be as much trouble as Fred and George," Ginny said with a sigh, though Draco believed he detected a small smile around her lips.

"So, anyhow, I'm sorry for the delay," Harry said sincerely. "But if Hermione's ready, we can start now."

Hermione, who had not spoken or moved in over an hour, nodded now and said, "Yes, we can start now."

The other three took seats around her and she looked away. She did not want to see their horrified expression when she told them what happened to her.

Before she could start talking, though, Harry said, "How was it that Justice was able to take you?"

Hermione forgot about not looking and turned her head to stare at Harry. His question caused a flow of anger to flicker over her. She glared and said, "Do you think I did it on purpose?"

"What?" Harry asked in shocked horror. "Of course I don't think that, Hermione. I, no we, just want to understand how he took you."

Hermione sighed heavily and said, "I'm sorry. I'm not feeling myself."

"We understand, Hermione," Ginny said sympathetically. "Just tell us what you can?"

Hermione looked away once more and started, "I went out onto the balcony. I thought the cool night air might help me fall asleep. I was only out there for no more than a minute when I thought I heard something fly over my head. Normally I would have dismissed it as having been bird but it felt close enough that I turned to see what it was. Justice must have hit me from behind because the next time I was aware of anything I was locked up in a dark room and chained to a rotting cot."

She paused and took a moment to gather her thoughts.

"Sometime after I woke up, I tried to use a few wand-less spells to free me, but I'm not that adapt at this and each spell I tried failed," Hermione continued. "As I was doing that, Justice came into the room. He accused me of stealing his life. It's here that the memory becomes hazy."

She stopped again, this time looking at all three people. She said, "I think there's something inside that memory that Justice doesn't want me to remember."

"He probably revealed his face," Harry thought aloud. "So far, he's been very careful to keep his face hidden. Even when we did confront him, at the warehouse, he was in disguise. He used Polyjuice Potion to become you and -"

Hermione stopped him by saying, "Yes, you all thought I was him later." She did not want to think about Draco kissing Justice. Something about this disturbed her a great deal, though she wished she could understand what it was that bothered her.

"As I was saying," Hermione started again. "The memory of that moment is a little fuzzy. I must have passed out, something that seems to becoming a habit with me." She smiled half-heartedly, but it quickly vanished when no else did the same. It was a feeble attempt at a joke anyhow, something she was never that great at and knew she was not.

She went on, "When I came to the next time, I was no longer on the cot. I can't be sure that I was even in the same room since it was so dark. This time, shackles attached to chains hanging from the ceiling held me in up. Justice was there; he was waiting for me to wake up. He…" Her voice faltered and she had to take a deep breath before going on. "He started hitting me with one horrid curse after another. He might have used an Unforgivable, but after awhile I stopped hearing the spells he was using."

"You don't have to go into detail with that, Hermione, if you don't want to," Harry said softly.

Thinking about what Ginny had said, Draco said, "Yes she does. If we want to completely understand this man, she has to tell us everything."

Hermione looked around at him in surprise. Her eyes went round when she saw his cold expression. For a moment, Draco believed she was going to lose control, but then she stiffened, looked away and said, "He liked inflicting the pain. He…it was enjoyable and….even a little thrilling for him. He would hurl a Whipping Spell, which would…it would cut open my skin. When…when…"

Hermione had to pull herself together before she could continue. Talking about it was making her relive it and she could feel the slashes and punches as if it was happening now.

Harry said, "I don't think this is going to help us, Draco. Why do you want her to-?"

Ginny placed a hand over Harry's just as Draco said, "It's for the best. We have to know everything or Justice might get the upper hand once more."

Hermione listened to this and felt her heart lurch into her stomach. Draco sounded as if he could care less about what happened to her, but that the only thing that was important was learning all there was about Justice. She was not going to let him see her pain, but she sure, the hell was going to make sure he felt her pain.

She said to Harry, her amber eyes suddenly stone hard, "It's okay, Harry; if Draco wants to hear the gruesome details, I'll tell him."

She took a deep breath, made her voice hard and said, "Justice is cruelly twisted. He would lash my skin open, let my blood flow only to close the wound so he could do it all over again. He would not just use magic though, no, he's too nasty for only curses and hexes. When he grew bored with using his wand, he would lash out at me with his fists and feet. He never hit me in the face, but he managed to inflict enough pain elsewhere that he didn't have to aim that high."

"He would laugh all the while he was hurting me," Hermione went on, ignoring the horrified looks from Harry and Ginny. Hermione's attention was on Draco and his icy gaze. "In between his gales of laughter, he would shout obscenities my way or demand to know why I refused to give him what he wanted. His anger would grow even more intense because I was beyond the point where I could answer him even if I wanted to, so he would force more pain upon me."

"There were times I wanted to die." Hermione was very loud now. Draco's seemingly indifference to her pain after claiming to love her was making her want to hurl a few curses his way. "I wanted to die, Draco, rather then give her what she wanted."

Suddenly the room had gone deathly silent. Everyone was looking at Hermione in surprise. When she saw this she snapped, "What?"

"You just said 'her,'" Harry explained.

"What?" Hermione asked, clearly not remembering what she had only just said.

"Instead of saying that you refused to give I _him /I _what I _he /I _wanted," Harry clarified. "You said you refused to give I _her /I _what I _she /I _wanted."

"Why would I -" She stopped herself as the memory that had once been hazy came into clear focus. It was not just that memory that was wrong either. One memory after the other came flooding back into her head like water poured from a jug. "Oh my God!"

Before anyone could question her further though, there was a knock on the door. Draco stood up and said, "That's probably Millie with the girls. I'll be right back."

Only when Draco came back he did not have Abby and Aria with him but Neville and Isabelle. "Neville says that Isabelle has something to tell us that couldn't wait."

Hermione tried to smile at the two newcomers but could not quite manage it; instead, she let her head drop so that her hair hid her face. Ginny jumped up and said, "Come, have a seat. Is what you have to tell us related to Justice?"

"Yes," Neville agreed, nodding his head only once. "Isabelle has refused to stop working on the file Draco's friend handed over. She has," he shot his wife a reproachful glance, "also refused to tell me what is so important that we had to come right away, though she assures me it couldn't wait."

Draco, his tone even but slightly harsh, said, "Please, then, tell us what you've learned."

He sat back down in the chair he had occupied moments ago and waited. Isabelle was a shy, calm soul and Draco's presence often intimidated her, which was the reason she often remained quiet when around him. Today however, she did not hesitate, but said, "Justice's letters maintained that his life was stolen from him by Hermione and that all that was hers was actually his."

She started talking even faster when she saw Draco's expression of impatience. "Justice is a woman, not a man."

"We know that," Harry said though unlike Draco, his tone was kinder and his expression even. "We've only just figured that out, mind you, but Hermione saw his, er, her face."

Isabelle's gaze slid to Hermione's bent head. "Then you know who she is?"

Without looking up and barely audible Hermione said, "She's me."

"No," Isabelle disagreed. "She's not you. She's more of a genetic copy of you."

"Okay," Ginny interrupted. "Care to enlighten the rest of us?"

Isabelle nodded at once and said, "Justice is a copy, a clone."

"I thought cloning was something Muggle scientists were experimenting with, not the Ministry of Magic," Harry said, who sometimes liked to keep abreast of what was happening outside the magical world.

"Well, yes, it is," Isabelle, agreed. She had a Muggle mother, so knew, like Harry, what was happening in the Muggle world. "But it wasn't the Ministry of Magic that experimented with this branch of Dark Arts. It was something they put a stop to when they learned what Voldemort was doing."

"What does this file contain, exactly?" Draco asked quietly.

"It's basically an accounting from a man called Severus Snape," Isabelle told them. "He brought the information to someone inside the Ministry, though the file does not say who that was. Anyhow, he brought the information to this man, telling him what was going on and telling him what he would have to do to end it. The man ended it all right, or thought he did. There's another entry, dated a year after the fall of Voldemort that suggest that not all of Voldemort's experiments failed as this man originally believed. He writes that he thinks E3 survived the fight."

"What is E3?" Harry asked.

"It stands for Experiment Number Three," Isabelle explained. "I think it means that there were two other clones that had not survived, but I'm not so sure about that part of the file just yet."

"What makes you believe that this E3 is a carbon copy of Hermione?" Ginny asked wonderingly.

"Each experiment also had a name attached to it, well, initials of a name, actually," Isabelle stated clearly. "E1 had the initials AD, which I believe stood for Albus Dumbledore. I think that E1 was a failure because Dumbledore died right before Voldemort began this. E2 had the initials GW, which I believe stands for-"

"Ginny Weasley," Harry breathed.

"Right," Isabelle said. "There are many more but there's no need to name them all. In the case of E3-"

Again, someone interrupted, this time by Draco. "The initials HG were stamped beside E3 which means it was Hermione Granger."

"Yes," Isabelle nodded. "Right. The man who wrote this report up thinks that Voldemort wanted to 'train' these copies to act like the originals. If he could pull that off, he could have infiltrated the Order and no one would have known. He could exchange the clone for the real person."

"Damn," Harry said and shook his head. "Just imagine the damage he could have caused if that plan had succeeded. Someday, when I can get past the fact that I hate the man, I'll have to thank Snape."

"There're still a few things that haven't been answered," Draco said, ignoring Harry. "The biggest question is, if E3 is Hermione's clone, where has she been all these years? Why has she never tried to kill Hermione before now? Why does she think Hermione stole her life? What-?"

Harry stopped Draco before he could go on with more questions. "The only way to have any of those questions answered is to catch Justice and ask her."

"Actually, I think I can answer that last question about why Justice thinks her life was stolen," Isabelle said.

"Then do so," Draco said, restraining the urge to growl.

"I think that Justice believes she is Hermione and that Hermione is the imposter," Isabelle said hurriedly. "I'm not trying to be all mystical and science fiction about this, either."

When everyone but Harry looked at her blankly, she said, "If this was something out of a science fiction novel the answer would be that Hermione's genetic code, her memories and such, was transferred to the clone. This would explain why the clone would start to think she was the real Hermione. However, I don't think that's the case here. I don't think Justice started to think of herself as the real Hermione until someone planted that seed in her head."

'What makes you think that?" Harry wanted to know. "We don't know if the real truth is exactly as you said; something from a science fiction novel."

"Well, the file goes onto say that each experiment that Voldemort succeeded at making, also failed," Isabelle explained. "The file doesn't say why they failed, but the writer seems to think that there was something wrong with the clones. He writes," she pulled out a piece of parchment from a folder, which Draco had only just noticed she held, "The copies, according to SS, could not or would not conform to the originals. SS states that each copy appeared to hate the maker and would often self induce the end of its life."

"Suicide!" Ginny gasped.

"It appears so," Isabelle said with a small nod. "Only, for some reason, I think Justice lasted longer, but went insane. I don't think she believed she was anyone in particular, but someone found out about her and wanted to use her. I don't think Justice is the major threat; I think it's whoever is pulling the strings behind the curtain."

"She wants the baby," Hermione said quietly. She lifted her head to stare at Draco. "She wants our baby!"

Draco could not keep the pretense Ginny had insisted on any longer. He swiftly moved to Hermione and grabbed her into his arms so they were both standing. He held her close and said, "She can't have the baby."

"What baby?" Neville asked, lost.

"Hermione and Draco's baby, dear," Isabelle replied softly to her husband.

"You mean Abby?" Neville wanted clarified.

"No, honey," Isabelle said with a small smile. "The one they're going to have in a few months time."

Neville, bless his heart, was a little slow on the uptake and it was even more obvious when he said, "But I thought Ginny was the one having the baby?"

"I am," Ginny said, actually unable to prevent herself from giggling. "Hermione's going to have a baby as well."

What they were saying finally dawned and he said, "Oh. Oh!"

Harry, who had said nothing during this exchange, said now, "Why do you think she wants the baby, Hermione?"

She said something from inside Draco's arms but all they heard was muffled mutterings, so Harry said, "Can't hear you, Hermione."

Hermione pulled her face away from Draco's chest and repeated, "I overhead her talking to someone. Whoever the person was wanted to kill me. Oh, and some old woman. Justice wasn't too worried about the old woman, whoever that is, but she was clear on not wanting me dead just yet. She said I wasn't giving her what she wanted."

Harry went to open his mouth to say something but Hermione was still talking. She said, "While I was in the hospital, it hit me that she wanted the baby. I did think that it was odd that a man thought he could just remove a baby and care for it before it was born, but I was sure that was the reason he had kept me alive."

"Did you know you were pregnant before she kidnapped you?" Draco asked.

"Yes," Hermione nodded, looking up at him. "It's the reason I couldn't sleep. I was trying to figure out when a good time to tell you would be, because I did plan to tell you, Draco. I was furious with that doctor for telling you before I could."

"How did you know he told me?" Draco asked with a frown. "You weren't even awake."

"No, I was, sometimes, but I was so weak I couldn't even open my eyes," Hermione explained. "I hated feeling that way."

She shuddered and Draco drew her close again. "I hated seeing you that way."

Draco bent his head down and kissed Hermione lightly on the lips. He had meant for it to stop there but one taste had him craving more, so he deepened the kiss. He stopped only when Harry cleared his throat.

In a tone of faux disgust Harry remarked, "Get a room, would you?"

Draco pulled back and grinned, "I plan too, but later."

"That was way to much information, mate," Harry retorted with a serious expression. "Hermione, can't you control him any better than that?"

Hermione, feeling safe and happy for the first time in months only smiled in Harry's direction. She knew there was still plenty that she and Draco had to work out, but it could wait for a little while. For now, they had to concentrate on finding Justice and eliminating the threat she posed.

"I think," Harry said, interrupting Hermione's thoughts, "that we had better sit down and compile a list of everything we know about Justice. We're also going to need to know who had access to that file, since that might lead us to whoever is truly behind all of this."

"Then let's not waste any more time," Hermione, replied briskly, returning to her usual self.

Draco smiled warmly at Hermione's back as she went over to the writing desk in the corner to gather parchment and quill. She might have changed some over the years, but when it came to organization and schedules, she would always remain the same. The very thought was comforting and Draco liked the feeling.

He joined Hermione on the floor and they got to work.


	31. Chapter 31

Chapter Thirty-One

Plans Galore

Hermione was resting on the chaise lounge, a thin blanket over her legs and was staring out the window. Draco watched her from afar, wondering how his life had come to this point. He may have never truly hated Hermione while at Hogwarts, but he would have never believed he would someday love her as fiercely as he did. She was looking into the night sky, a small smile on her lips and he wondered what she was thinking. He sighed even as he thought this, for he knew that the time had come for them to talk.

He walked over to her and sat down near her feet. She did not look at him as she asked, "Do you ever look back on the past with a befuddled shake of your head?"

Since he had only just thought the same thing, he smiled and admitted, "I have."

"I often think about how different things might have been if Harry had never met Ron, if I had been sorted into Ravenclaw as the Sorting Hat had first considered, or even if Harry had landed in Slytherian," she remarked softly. "So many lives would have been affected and we may have never crossed paths."

Draco did not know what to say to this. He was not sure where she was going with what she was saying, so stayed quiet, waiting for her to elaborate. She turned to look at him. "I lied, Draco. I've wanted to tell you that for so long now. I lied when I said that I never wanted anything more from you than a few good nights of passion. I was just too stubborn to admit it to you or even myself."

"Hermione-"

"You see," she said, overriding him. "I thought I could convince myself that I no longer cared about you, that you were nothing more than Abby's father and my ex-lover. I was wrong, but I was scared. I know you don't have to say it, so please don't. I've known for years that I should have tried harder to make you see that you were wrong and I've known for months that there's still this special bond between us, that has nothing to do with Abby, though I tried to tell myself that's all it was. I knew better."

"I never should have listened to Pansy," Draco cut in, raising his voice so Hermione would stop talking. "I've understood everything you've confessed and though there were times I wanted to shake you, I knew I just had to step back and give you some space. This is not about now, but the past. We have to look back, just this once, in order to move forward. I want to move forward, Hermione, with you, Abigail, and the baby."

She let off a tiny sob and flung herself into his arms. With her face pressed into his shoulder, she said, "I don't care about the past anymore, Draco, I only care about what we have, together, now and in the future."

He rubbed a hand down the length of back and up again, repeating the motion in a soothing circle. He said, "That may be, but it's my turn to confess my sins. You've had your chance. I have to do this."

She nodded against his chest, but refused to move away. "Fine. But after this, we forget what was and think of what is, okay?"

Draco could not help but smile slightly as he said, "Agreed."

"Good," she said as she moved back a little so she could look up into his face. "What did you mean a moment ago when you said you shouldn't have listened to Pansy?"

"Pansy fed me lies about you, which, in a low moment in my life, I believed," Draco explained. "She caught me at a vulnerable time and because of that, I believed her when she said that you had only come into my life in order to protect Harry and the Order from me. She said that you were always going on about how I could not be trusted. She had me believing that you were going to betray me, and so I decided to betray your trust first."

"Ah," Hermione said a glint of anger in her eyes. "Yes, Pansy. She must have overheard a snatch of conversation I had with Lavender Brown. Only I wasn't the one claiming not to trust you, even though the War was over. Lavender was on and on about how you had joined the Order only so you could take Voldemort's place after Harry defeated him."

"So Pansy twisted it for my benefit," Draco said with disgust.

"She must have," Hermione agreed. "I saw her there, at the Three Broomsticks, but I didn't pay her much attention. I don't like her much. Anyhow, Lavender was expounding on a theory that you were going to become the new Dark Lord. I was trying to tell her that you had changed and that her idea was absurd, but she insisted upon explaining her reasons for believing what she did. I was being polite to listen, but Pansy must not have stuck around to hear me tell Lavender off toward the end."

"You defended my honor?" Draco asked amused.

"Yes," Hermione snapped. She sighed then and said, "Lavender was quite bemused as to why I was defending you so heatedly. At that point, if you recall, we had not told anyone about our relationship. She insisted, repeatedly, that you were still evil and she could not understand why I, of all people, would believe differently."

Draco said, "I wanted to tell everyone about us, but was afraid to reveal it was well. I thought that people would think I was acting a part in order to get closer to Harry through you, which I can assure was not the case at all."

"I know that, Draco," Hermione said softly.

He went on as if she had not said anything. "I was also afraid to admit what I was feeling for you was real. It was all so new to me and it not only scared the hell out of me, it confused me. I often had myself convinced that I was going to wake up and everything was going to be a dream. I had another reason for keeping us a secret, though."

Hermione frowned and asked, "What was that?"

"I didn't want people to look at you and see you in a bad light," Draco confessed.

"See me in a bad light?" Hermione repeated. "Why would you think that?"

"We…our relationship started only months after Ron's murder," Draco explained. "I was determined to keep it from others so that no one would think less of you for seeing me so soon after your fiancé's death."

His confession actually made her laugh. She explained, "I thought of that only a few times. It didn't bother me as much as you might believe. I kept our relationship a secret simply because I didn't want to add to Harry's troubles, at least not when Voldemort was still alive. I had every intention of telling him when the War ended and the only reason I didn't is because of how we ended it."

"I had a feeling that was your reason," Draco admitted. He frowned then and asked, "Why did it not bother you that our relationship came so soon after Ron's death?"

"Well," Hermione said. "I can't say that I never thought about it, because I did. In the beginning, I thought about it more, but for different reasons other than what people would think of me. I worried that what I felt for you was shallow and only a result of the kindness you showed me during that rough time in my life. However, as time passed, I came to realize that I did love you, but it was not the same sort of love I had with Ron."

Draco's frowned deepened and he asked, "What do you mean?"

"Ron and I were friends long before we became lovers," Hermione told him. "Harry, Ron, and I experienced a lot together, as children and adults. Harry will always only be my friend, my best friend, but only that. Ron and me…our love developed slowly and over time. There was passion, don't misunderstand me, but it was soft, gentle and bonded in friendship."

"And how you felt for me differed, how?" Draco asked.

"It was like a fire was ignited under me," Hermione smiled with the memory. "The first time you kissed me it felt like getting hit with a Stunning spell. It was explosive and…magical. Not to say Ron and I didn't have magic - only that it was a different kind of magic. Do you understand what I mean?"

Draco slowly nodded as he said, "Yes, actually, I think I do."

Hermione leaned into him once more, this time lifting her lips to his. The kiss started out gently, but soon built as their passions grew. It was when they heard a small cough from behind Draco's back that they pulled apart. Hermione peered around Draco's shoulder even as Draco shifted so he could look around.

Abby was standing there, framed by golden locks in an all too familiar stance of hands on hips. Hermione smiled warmly and said, "Hello, baby. Did we wake you?"

Abby shook her head and said, "No, I've been awake. What are you doing?"

"Thinking about getting married," Hermione said."

"Getting married to whom?" Abby asked for clarification.

"Draco," Hermione told her.

Abby turned narrowed slate-blue eyes on Draco. "You want to marry my mum?"

He nodded, wondering why she acted disgusted at this idea. "Yes."

"Can we have Millie come work for us?" Abby asked seemingly unexpectedly.

Draco blinked while Hermione chuckled. Draco confused at this sudden change of subject, said, "What? Um…?"

"Abby's obviously been listening in on conversations she had no business hearing," Hermione said though there was twinkle in her eye.

"I'm lost," Draco admitted.

"I told Ginny earlier today that if you and I patched things up and decided to marry," Hermione began, "that I was going to try to tempt Millie away from your mother. She, that is Millie, is a delightful woman and I would love to have her around. Abby was listening at keyholes, which is the reason she asked that question. Well, that and because in her way, she was granting us her permission to marry."

"Oh," Draco could only say. A second later he said, "Come here, Abigail."

She came over to him and stood in front of him. She looked up at him, which caused his heart to lurch from the sudden rush of love that rushed over him. He reached out and pulled her into his lap, circling her small body with his arms. He murmured, "We've never talked about me being your father. Would you like to ask me anything or tell me anything?"

Abby was silent for so long, that Draco actually started to think she might have fallen asleep. Suddenly she pulled back from him and looked deep into his eyes. With a small sparkle in her eyes and in typical Abby fashion she said, "I have only one thing to say at this moment."

"So say it," Draco encouraged.

"You have a lot to learn about being my dad."

Without knocking, Harry came into Draco's penthouse the next day and announced, "I think it's time we turn the tables on Justice and set a trap for her."

Draco and Hermione, who were both engrossed in watching Abby and Aria play wizarding chess, looked around at Harry. Hermione said breezily, "Hello there, Harry."

Draco grunted and returned his attention to the game. He said to Abby, "Move your knight. He's the only one you can use right now that won't cause you any fatal casualties."

Abby frowned at her father and said, "I would very much like it if you would let me play this my way."

Draco shook his head and said, "Fine, little girl, but when Aria bests you, don't cry your woes in my direction."

Abby stuck out her tongue, which only made Draco smile. She laughed and returned to the game as Draco looked over at Harry who had taken a seat opposite him and Hermione. "What's that you've said, Harry?"

"I said I think that you're building's on fire and we should all vacate the premises," Harry remarked dryly.

Hermione giggled and said, "Oh stop it, Harry. We aren't ignoring you. It's just that having a moment when Justice was not the first thing on our minds was refreshing."

Draco only rolled his eyes and said, "Do you two always have to be so dramatic?" He did not wait for an answer. "Really, Harry, what did you just say?"

"I said it's time we set a trap for Justice," Harry repeated. "I'm tired of waiting for her to make the first move. We should go on the defensive and make her come to us."

"That's a brilliant idea, Harry," Draco agreed. "There's only one small snag that I can see in that plan."

"What snag is that?" Harry asked interested.

"We don't know how to get Justice's attention," Draco replied. "That and we have no plan."

"That's why it's called a plan," Harry retorted. "We plan it and then implement that plan into action."

"Great!" Draco said in a slightly sarcastic voice. "Now explain to me how we can make plans against Justice when we don't know where she is, we don't know where she'll next appear and we have no idea where to start?"

Harry actually shrugged and said, "That's why I'm here and why the others, including your mother by the way, will soon be here as well."

"WHAT!" Draco nearly shouted. "Why the hell is my mother coming here?"

At this, Harry actually looked a little guilty. He said, "Oh, yeah. Um, you see, I sort of bumped into Narcissa last evening and I - er - sort of let it slip that Abby was your daughter."

"You didn't!" Draco denied with a shake of his silver blonde head. "No, please tell me you're only pulling my leg, Harry?"

"Yeah, sure I could tell you I was only joking," Harry said lightly. "But it would be a lie. I'm really sorry, Draco. I wasn't thinking right last evening. I was tired and only wanted to get back home so I could fall into bed."

"Damn!" Draco muttered. "She's going to have a right good time yelling at me. I planned to tell her that Hermione and I were getting married and that Abigail was her grandchild by not only marriage, but also blood, but I wanted to have time to ease into it all. Now, as it stands, she's going to have great fun picking at me."

"It can't be as bad as all that," Hermione interjected soothingly. "I mean -"

"You don't know my mum, Hermione," Draco groaned.

He groaned again a second later when he heard a sweet, high voice call, "Draco, dear, your mother's here."

Aria looked from Draco's face to the door where their mother came into view. She grinned and nudged Abby who looked up at her questioningly. Aria said, "Watch!"

Narcissa walked into the room with the air of one who was used to being treated like a queen. She strolled over to Draco who stood and planted a light kiss on her cheek. She turned to Harry next and said, "It's so nice to see you once again, Harry."

Harry grinned and said, "As it is to see you, Mrs. Malfoy."

Narcissa waved a hand eloquently and said, "Please, call me Narcissa."

"Thank you," Harry nodded.

Narcissa next looked at Hermione, who was just starting to stand. "Please, dear, sit back down. From what darling Harry has told me, you've had a less than desirable time of it lately." She went over and sat down next to Hermione. "I've come to make proper introductions which my son has so far neglected to do, though I can assure you I raised him much better, he seems to have lost the knowledge that I gave him."

Hermione opened her mouth but closed it just as quickly. Draco could tell by the expression on her face that she was not sure how to take his mother. He understood how she felt, since he often felt the same way.

He sighed though only to himself and said, "Mother, this is Hermione Granger, my fiancé."

Narcissa gave Draco a dry look as she said, "I'm quite aware of who this young lady is, Draco, no thanks to you."

Draco, grinding his teeth, said, "Yes, Mother." He then indicated Abby. "This is my daughter, Abigail."

"Abby," Abby corrected as she stood and came over to stand before Narcissa. "It's Abby, please. It's nice to meet you, er…"

"Call me Grams," Narcissa said pleasantly as she beamed at Abby. "You are lovely, aren't you? Of course, I remember you from Aria's birthday party, but I didn't know then, that you and I were related. However, I must confess that I found the resemblance between you and Aria very remarkable indeed. Well, now I know the reason for that, don't I?"

"Yes ma'm," Abby said with a large grin.

"Well," Narcissa said softly. "I think you and I will have a wonderful time getting to know one another, won't we?"

Abby nodded and said, "Yes, Grams, we will."

"That's dandy," Narcissa beamed. She turned to Hermione once again. "I think you and I will also have a great time reacquainting ourselves. But first, let me just offer my rather unkind opinion that it was not very well done of you, keeping Abby from us for so long. However, Cal, that's my husband, has informed that you would have your reasons and those reasons are for you and Draco to work through. Of course, I dare say that you must have worked through it already since you are set to join the family."

"Er, yes," Hermione said unsure of exactly what to say.

"Great," Narcissa said as she patted Hermione on the knee. "Now, I have to congratulate you and Draco on the impending wedding. I can't wait for the happy event to take place. Have you set a date?"

"Next month," Hermione blurted. "Third weekend of next month."

Narcissa clapped her hands in delight. "Wonderful. That's wonderful."

She hugged Hermione briefly, and then Abby. Narcissa stood and said, "Harry has kindly told me that there will be a group of people arriving soon to discuss important matters. I don't wish to intrude, so will be on my way. However, I want a visit from you, Hermione and Abby soon, Draco, do you understand?"

Draco was not given chance to reply as she went on, "I also don't wish to hear about your plans for the future from others ever again. I appreciate Harry's revelation, but it would have been much nicer hearing it from you, Draco. It's most rude of you and I know I taught you better than this. Now, I will go about my shopping and leave you all to your affairs."

To Aria she said, "Sweetie, I will see you back home, soon, I hope. We do miss you, er, wild ways."

"Yes, Mum," Aria said with a small smile. "Can Abby come stay a few nights with us when I come home?"

"Of course she may," Narcissa replied. "It will give us a chance to get to know each other."

A few minutes later, she was gone. After Narcissa swept out just as regally as she had come in, Aria said in a slightly grumbling tone, "Well, big brother, you got off light."

"She'll give it to me later when no one's around to hear her scream," Draco mumbled. "When are the others arriving?"

"Any minute," Harry said.

"Great," Draco said. "I'll get refreshments and snacks ready. Abby, Aria, want to assist me, please?"

The house was far better than the warehouse as her new hidey-hole. The young man who had lived there was now dead and stuffed into a trunk in the basement. She had enjoyed the killing, but the cleaning up afterward had not been so pleasant. From now on, she would have to remember to lure her victims away before disposing them of their lives.

She lifted the newspaper she had purchased in Diagon Alley, disguised as a hag so no one found her hidden face suspicious. Hermione's escape and miraculous recovery was the reason she bought a copy of the Daily Prophet each morning. She did not think that Hermione's well-deserved illness was news worthy, but Justice believed that did not mean something about the events of the past couple of weeks would go ignored.

However, nothing was ever printed in the paper, much to Justice's delight. The longer there was no mention of anything remotely close to her, she was safe from discovery. She was positive if Draco and his band of miscreants had figured out her identity, it would be in the news. She knew that something of this magnitude would not remain this way, for, if not Draco, then Harry Potter or even Hermione would have reported it. Justice was well versed in the nuances of her enemies and that they had no love for the Ministry of Magic was one of those things she knew very well.

On the other hand, there was the possibility that they had discovered who she was and had decided not to let the Ministry of Magic to pay for their part in all of this. If that was the case and they did know who she was, then all she could do was calculate her next move. She would have to be careful this time, however, because she did not know whether they knew her identity. She did not think they knew who she was though, for if they had discovered the secrets that the Ministry had tried to hide, they would have exposed her and the Ministry.

Justice decided to open the paper and read up on what was happening in the world she was not a part of. She flipped the page open and started to read a story about the recent Quiddtich games, but lost interest rather quickly. She was not much of a fan and could care less which team was a favorite for winning the World Cup. The third page had a few announcements related to local events and a few ads. She skipped to the next page.

Opening the paper to the fourth and fifth pages, she started to read the bold headline that leaped up from the fourth page. Only, she had to read it again before what she was reading sank in. Scripted across the top of the fourth page was this headline: **Local Bachelor Draco Malfoy Announces Engagement. **

Below the headline was a picture with the caption: _Draco Malfoy, Hermione Granger, Abigail Malfoy and Aria Watkins at the announcement party Mrs. Narcissa Malfoy Watkins threw for the couple. _

Justice screamed in pure hate as her eyes scanned the picture. Draco had his arm around Hermione's shoulder while she smiled up at him. Abby and Aria giggled into the cupped hands, looking up at the couple every few seconds. What the hell was this? She yanked the paper closer, so that her nose was almost touching it and read the article that went with the headline.

_Draco Malfoy, most eligible and wealthy bachelor of London, announced late last evening of his plans to marry local girl, Hermione Granger. Many of the single women in the area have sought after Malfoy, but it seems that he's been keeping a secret. For the last ten years, he's has secretly been visiting his long time love, Hermione Granger. Granger, who is Harry Potter's close and dear friend and helped in He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named defeat, has apparently been living in America Malfoy has revealed to the Daily Prophet that he has been attempting to convince Granger to return home and marry him for the last eleven years. It seems to have worked since Granger has returned, along with their daughter, Abigail, who has said she is simply delighted that her parents have decided to marry._

_When Mrs. Malfoy-Watkins was contacted for comment, she had this to say: "I can't put into words how very happy I am for my oldest son and my soon to be daughter-in-law. Of course, I am overjoyed that I will now be able to spend much more time with my granddaughter as well."_

_Mr. Harry Potter, The-Boy-Who-Lived, has also expressed his joy for the couple. "Hermione and Draco are right for each other and I wish them all the happiness in the world." Potter's wife, Ginny Weasley-Potter, also expressed her delight with this to say: "Hermione and Draco have been in love for a long time, I'm glad the two are finally taking that final step."_

_As many readers know, it has long been assumed that Miss Pansy Parkinson would be the girl to capture Draco's heart, but it appears that even she was fooled into believing he was single and loving it. She was heard to say, "He's WHAT!" Poor Miss Parkinson will just have to look elsewhere now that Malfoy has made clear that he loves Miss Granger and will not be leaving her side in the near future._

_The date for the happy event is scheduled here days from today. Hogsmeade, which the couple says holds a special place in their hearts, has given them special permission to erect an Enchanted Tent (for more information on this wonderful product, see page 5) at the edge of town. "They want their wedding to be special," Neville Longbottom, a friend of the couple was heard to have said. "It's going to be a small wedding with just close friends and family."_

_We here at the Daily Prophet wish the couple- _

Justice crumpled the paper, her fists tightening until her knuckles were white. In a rage, she threw the paper away from her. It landed on the floor only a few feet away, but she did not notice. Pure red hatred was boiling inside her as she thought about Draco and that imposter marrying. She was the one who should be marrying Draco, not her. She was the real Hermione, that is what she was, and would always be; no one could change that. She just had to figure out how to convince Draco and the others of that before it was too late.

A plan began forming inside her head. She snatched up the paper once more and turned to page five. The ad for Enchanted Tents was there.

**Enchanted Tents of all sorts. Rent or buy; very fair prices. **

She read over the information, her plan coming to life in her head. They would all see the truth, even if she had to force-feed it into them.

No one, least of all that thief calling herself Hermione, was going to marry Draco Malfoy. The only person doing that great honor, would be her, even if she had to kill a few people to do so


	32. Chapter 32

-1Chapter Thirty-Two

One, Two, Three and Four

"I really don't think this is going to work," Neville said for what felt like the twentieth time. "She's not stupid."

Harry, who was the only person in the room who seemed to have any patience at the moment, replied, "Neville, please relax, this will work."

"Oh come off it, Harry," Fred said irritably. "Neville isn't going to relax until this entire affair is behind us, we all now that."

Harry ignored Fred and turned to Ginny. "Are you ready?"

She nodded and brushed her hair from her face. "Yes, I think so."

Harry turned to Isabelle and Hermione and asked them, "Are the two of you ready as well?"

Isabelle nodded once, but was afraid to speak. Her stomach felt queasy and she was afraid if she opened her mouth, she would lose the light breakfast she had managed to get down. Hermione nodded as well, but said, "This is a ridiculous plan. She's not going to care who she-"

Harry cut her off saying, "Listen, it's going to work."

"I never said it wasn't going to work, Harry," Hermione huffed. "I'm only saying that I don't think she will care if-"

Again, she was interrupted when Draco entered the tent. He looked rather handsome in his dress robes of sage green and gold and she could not help but admire him. He winked in her direction before looking over at Harry. "Everything's set. It's almost noon so I would suspect Justice will arrive any moment. We should get into position and leave the girls here so Justice won't suspect anything."

Harry agreed and said, "Yes, all right. Come on, Neville, Fred, George."

Only Fred and George stood up to leave. Neville went over to his fiancé and embraced her quickly before kissing her gently on the lips. "Be careful," he said his voice slightly shaky.

"I will be, dear," she agreed and kissed him once more.

He followed Fred and George out while Draco walked to Hermione. He dragged her forward, crushing her dress robes as he did, and kissed her long and hard. A few minutes later, he pulled back just enough so he could see her face and said, "Don't get hurt!"

It was not a question or even advice it was a demand. She smiled up at him and said, "Don't be the hero!"

He smiled and kissed her again, this time softly. When he pulled back this time, he said, "We'll be within earshot, so don't hesitate to yell." He turned away and spotted Harry whispering something into his wife's ear that was making her smile even as she blushed. Draco looked back at Hermione who shrugged before saying to Harry, "Come on, lover boy."

Harry ginned wickedly once more at his wife and left with Draco. Hermione looked at Ginny with a raised eyebrow and said, "What was that about?"

"Nothing," Ginny replied evasively, though there was a spark in her eye that said otherwise.

Draco let Harry lead the way down the single path to the spot they had chosen earlier to conceal themselves. Once there he said, "Wasn't that a bit - er - odd to kis-"

"Yes," Harry cut in. "So don't bring it up again."

Draco grinned and held up his hands. "Never again will I mention that you -"

"I'm warning you, Draco, if you so much as-"

Harry stopped mid-sentence and cocked his head to the side. Draco did not have to see Harry's shushing hand gestures to know that he was listening for something. After a few minutes of silence, Draco was about to speak, but he heard something just then as well. It sounded like something was whizzing by them, only he could not see anything. He looked at Harry, who was frowning too.

Whispering, Harry said, "I think she's here, but I can't see her."

"What's that sound?" Draco whispered back.

"I think it's her under a Disillusionment Charm," Harry answered.

"Why do -?"

"I think she's checking everything out," Harry answered Draco's unfinished query. "Neville's right, she's not going to fall for this."

"Yes, she will," Draco, countered. "Give it more time. She can't see us from any angle and she can't see inside the tent until she enters it. We've made it perfectly clear which tent she needs to gain access to also, let's just wait a minute more."

In his mind's eye, Draco pictured the lay out they had set up earlier that day. In the center of four small tents was a large tent. At each corner of the large tent, a smaller tent was staked, making it easy to reach each tent from every angle, but also allowing certain areas concealed from everyone that may walk along.

Inside one small tent was nothing but a bathroom, designed to become whatever the person entering decided a bathroom should look like. That tent was set in the right back corner. The second smaller tent was a dressing room, designed to allow the men to spruce themselves up before the event and it was to the front right of the largest tent. To the left of the largest tent was the third smaller tent. This one was charmed into a daycare for the smaller children. No less than three witches and two wizards watched the children at all times.

The largest tent could house a few hundred people and would change on cue for whatever the renters of said tent needed it to become. It was sort of like the Room of Requirement inside Hogwarts, only with limited possibilities. The last of the smallest tents, which was to the back and left, was where Hermione, Ginny and Isabelle now waited for Justice to come along.

Draco, who was already thin on patience, finally decided that Harry and Neville were right. Justice was not going to fall for their tricks. He was about to say as much when a scream rendered the still air. Draco sprang forward at the same moment Harry did. Harry, one-step ahead of Draco, said, "That came from the Event Tent."

Draco waved a hand, indicating he already had that much figured out and to proceed. Harry and Draco rounded the corner to the largest tents entrance at the same time a woman came careening outside, the side of her face covered in red. Harry recognized the woman as Veronica Weasley, Percy's wife. He snatched her around the waist and drew her out of the way at the same time he asked loudly, "What happened?"

"Hermione," Veronica gasped. "She's gone crazy. She's in there cursing people and -"

Whatever else Veronica said, Draco did not hear. He shoved past Harry and ran inside the tent. Hermione, or rather Justice, was there, looking wild and just as crazy as Veronica had described her. He pushed a few other people out of his way and started running at Justice. She saw him coming and instead of turning and rushing away, she faced him, brandishing her wand.

"Stop right there or I'll kill her!"

It took Draco a half a second to realize Abby was in front of Justice, her back pressed into Justice's front. She looked scared and confused. Draco silently cursed himself. They should have warned Abby and Aria about Justice. Neither girl was aware that Justice was Hermione's exact double. Aria was slowly inching closer to Abby and Draco tried to catch her eye so he could warn her not to do anything.

Justice noticed the movement and looked from him to Aria. He took the opportunity to move forward a few places, but she must have known he would do just that because she whirled back to face him and said, "Don't come any closer."

Justice moved back a few steps, dragging Abby with her. Quickly she pointed her wand at Aria and before Draco could shout, "Don't hurt her," Aria had joined Abby in front of Justice. A small burst of relief pulsed over him that she had not meant to kill his sister, but just as quickly, the fear returned when Justice aimed her wand tip at Abby's neck.

"You can't get away, Justice," Draco said, keeping his tone low. "All the exits are covered."

"Oh, I can get away," she replied confidently. "No one's going to stop me with these two here to protect me. None of you will dare do anything as long as I have them. You're all too afraid they'll get hurt if you try anything."

From the corner of his eye, he saw Harry two aisles over from him. He was, as Draco was, aiming his wand at the ground. An aisle over from Harry was Fred and George. Draco looked to this left and saw Bill, Percy and Neville. All the exits were covered, but Justice was right, as long as she was using Abby and Aria for cover, they would do nothing.

It did not appear as if Justice wanted to leave just yet, though. Her eyes were dancing from one person to the other, never letting any of them leave her sight for to long. She said as she continued to look from one person to the other, "Why can't you see that I am Hermione? She's the fake. The one you plan to marry today is the fake."

Harry was the one to answer. "I've known Hermione since I was eleven years old. She's the real one, you're the imposter."

"NO!" Justice screamed and pointed her wand away from Abby to aim it at Harry. "You don't know anything. You stay out of this, Harry Potter."

Draco was thinking to gain a few more feet while Harry distracted her but he lost his chance a second later. She put the tip of her wand back to Abby's neck and looked away from Harry, once more checking on everyone's position. "Draco, you promised."

That comment brought a frown to Draco. He asked, "What did I promise?"

"TO KEEP ME SAFE!" Justice shouted. "YOU PROMISED HIM YOU WOULD PROTECT ME! KEEP YOUR PROMISE!"

"Who did I make this promise to?" Draco asked, sliding his foot forward just a fraction.

"YOUR FATHER!"

That had all plans to stop Justice, flee his head. He stopped dead where he was and looked at her. "It was you-"

"NO!" another voice yelled from behind him. Draco spun around to see three more Hermione's enter the room.

"It was me that was promised protection," the first Hermione said.

"No," the second one denied. "It was me."

"No, all of you lie," the last Hermione snapped. "It was me Draco promised to protect."

A piercing scream turned Draco back around to see Justice in a rage. She lifted her wand and with a small flick sent Aria flying across the room. Aria's small body landed with a thud and was still. Draco wanted to rush to her, but stayed where he was. There was still Abby, and though he was concerned for his sister, he did not think she was seriously hurt, just stunned. His second instinct was to rush forward and physically attack Justice, but he managed to control the desire by biting his inner cheek.

Her face contorted in rage, she twisted to face the first Hermione. "You aren't her. The one I want would never look at me with such blatant curiosity." Her wand came up and she yelled, "_Avada Kedavra!_"

The first Hermione ducked just as Justice started to yell, the Killing Curse passed a few inches above her head and blasted a hole in a nearby chair. Justice did not notice since she had already turned to the second Hermione, but she did not say anything, but turned to look at the last (and real) Hermione. She looked from one to the other once more before noticing that the one she had tried to kill was still alive and very close.

She jabbed her wand into Abby's neck. Abby winced but did not make a sound. Justice said, "Stop trying to get closer to me. I'll kill her."

"If you kill her," Harry began, "I don't think Draco will be very understanding and there will have gone your chances with him."

Draco looked at Harry in surprise but saw the calculating look in his eyes and began to play along. "Abby's my daughter, Justice. How do you think I will feel if you hurt her?"

"It won't matter," she snapped. "We can have more children."

"Yes," Draco agreed slowly. "We could, but I don't think I could forgive you if you hurt the child we already have."

She looked at him and said, "Are you finally admitting that I'm Hermione and not the imposter?"

"I'm almost there," Draco told her. "First tell me this, if you're Hermione, where have you been all this time? Why have you let someone else impersonate you for all these years?"

"She found me," Justice said. "She found me and told me who I was and what I would have to do to get my life back. I didn't know who I was. He hurt me so much. He caused me such pain for so long and then one day he was gone and no one was there. I didn't know who I was or what to do, so I left and hid in the mountains for a while, but the giants made that hard, so I moved into the forest off the coast of Albania. That was where she found me and told me who I was. She said she'd been looking for me for years."

"Who is she?" Draco asked.

Justice was no longer listening though. Instead, she said, "After she showed me proof of who I was, she took me to Germany. She said it was to prepare me for what I would have to do. She taught me everything I would need to know, not just who I was, but also everything else I had forgotten. The spells, the potions, the history of everything and everyone, she showed me all of it."

Justice looked away from Draco, eyeing everyone once more before returning her gaze to Draco and continuing her story, "I had forgotten so much, but she said it was because he had tortured me and caused my brain to go funny. She was my friend. I killed her."

She did not look at all sorry about this act. "I had to kill her. She would have ruined everything for me. She wanted to kill the imposter, but I couldn't let her do that, not until I could find a way to take what the imposter has stolen from me."

"What did she steal from you?" Harry asked, trying to keep Justice distracted as Neville and Bill inched closer.

"Besides my life?" Justice screeched. "She stole my baby."

"Pardon me," one of the fake Hermione's spoke up. "But how did I steal my baby?"

"MY BABY!" Justice screamed. "Dark Magic. You used Dark Magic to get MY baby."

"Hermione, the real Hermione, would never do anything like that," Harry said softly.

"I KNOW THAT!" Justice shouted. "What do you think I've been telling you? She's the fake one." She pointed to one of the actual fake Hermione's as she spoke. "I'm the real one. Why can't any of you see this?"

"If," the real Hermione spoke, "I'm the fake and you're the real one, then you will know what I said to Draco the night before the War ended…"

Justice looked panicked for a moment, but then she said, "I don't have to tell you anything. You'll be dead in a few minutes."

"You may not have to give her an answer," Draco said. "But you do have to give me one. What did you tell me that night?"

Suddenly there was a whooshing and Abby and Justice vanished. Draco looked around at the others, but they all looked as bemused as he felt. "Where did she go?"

There was a sudden bang and the room fell into darkness. Draco heard someone struggling nearby, but before he could shout or move, the tent became full of light once more. Instead of three Hermione's standing in the aisle, there were four. Abby was nowhere in sight and Draco felt a moment of panic before he spotted her leaning over Aria who was coming around.

The four Hermione's were looking at one another, trying to decipher which was the real one, which was Justice, and which were Isabelle and Ginny under the guise of Polyjuice Potion. Draco could not tell, now that all four were huddled into a group, who was the real Hermione from the fakes. To Draco, it looked as if all four Hermione's were debating on her next move.

"I can't tell them apart," Neville said in a low voice from behind Draco.

Bill added, "I would hazard a guess, but I'd probably be dead wrong."

Abby was suddenly standing by his side and as Draco looked down at her, she put her hand in his and said, "Mum's the pretty one."

Draco almost smiled when he said, "They all look the same, Abby?"

"No, Dad, they don't," Abby disagreed. "Look at each one carefully."

Draco did not want to cause Abby's feelings to become hurt so he did as she asked. He turned to the four Hermione's and looked into their eyes. He looked first at the closest woman. She smiled at him with Hermione's lips, but something was not right about it and when he studied her for a moment, he realized it was Ginny. The eyes said she was amused and he had no doubt that she was Ginny. His suspicions were confirmed when he started to look away and she winked.

The second Hermione was not the real one either. She did not smile at him as Ginny had, but something in the eyes told him it was not Hermione. The third one he looked at was the real deal; her eyes told him that simple truth, they looked back at him with deep sorrow, but also heart wrenching warmth. He did not let on that he knew she was Hermione though. He did not want Justice to panic once more and vanish again. Instead, he tried to tell Hermione with his eyes that he knew it was her, even as he looked away at the last Hermione in the group.

He knew which Hermione was Ginny and which was actually Hermione, which meant the remaining two were Justice and Isabelle, but he could not say which was which. He did not want to make a move until he was sure which girl was Justice. Once he knew which was Justice, he could prevent her from Disapparating again, but how to decipher one from the other. He looked over to Harry for help, but he was not looking at him; he was watching something behind the four women.

Ignoring Harry, Draco turned to Neville, but he too was looking beyond the four women. Draco looked behind too, and saw the reason Harry and Neville were distracted. In the confusion, Draco had forgotten about the Detection Mirror. Bill had retrieved it from a friend of his, and the plan had been to place it inside the girl's tent, but someone had obviously forgotten about it because it was directly behind the four women. It was a full-length mirror of average height and width, but its charm of detecting concealment was working very well.

The women reflected in the mirror were not four Hermione's but rather, Ginny, Isabelle and two Hermione's. The reflection revealed which girl was Isabelle, and without thinking,; Draco whipped his wand around and pointed it at Justice. The other three quickly backed away, but Draco was too late. Justice had spotted the mirror as well and before he could place a binding charm on her, she had Disapparated along with the real Hermione.

"Damn it!" Draco growled. "Ginny, Isabelle, mark yourselves somehow so that we don't have to distinguish you from the other two again, but do so in a way that Justice can't see."

Both women nodded and did as he asked. George said, "There, she's back up at the podium."

Draco spun around to face Justice and Hermione. This time, it was not hard to figure out one from the other. Justice had a hold of Hermione's hair, yanking her head backwards; her wand aimed there, in much the same way she had done to Abby.

"Mum," Abby said.

"Hush, Abby," Draco said as he tried to think of a way to prevent what he was sure was about to happen.

"Mum," Abby said again, ignoring Draco. "You can't kill her, Mum."

Draco frowned down at Abby, but she did not look at him. Instead, she addressed her mother again. "Mum, come on, just bind her and let's be done with this. You don't want me to witness you killing someone, do you?"

Draco looked closely at the two women and realized the Abby was right. Justice was not the one with a death grip on Hermione, but the other way around. Hermione, who was gripping Justice's hair, had tears running down her cheeks as Abby talked to her. She did not look like she cared at the moment what Abby witnessed, but after a moment, she waved her wand and released Justice, who fell forward in a heap.

Hermione came running over to Abby and dropped to her knees. "I'm sorry, baby. I'm so sorry."

Abby hugged her mother about the neck, burying her face there. She said something in return but it was muffled and all Draco caught was, "…okay, Mum."

Harry was coming over, as were the others. Harry was the first to reach them and he said, "What are we going to do with her?"

"Well," Neville said, "I suggest we-"

"YOU CAN'T HAVE MY FAMILY!"

Everyone turned as one to look up at Justice who was standing up once more, her wand pointed at the group of people now gathered around Draco, Hermione and Abby. Harry sighed and said, "Hermione, I thought you bound her?"

"I did… I must have…" Hermione stood up and looked bewildered. "I really thought I had, Harry. I'm sorry."

"YOU WILL NOT HAVE THEM!" Justice raged. "I WON'T LET YOU TAKE THEM AWAY FROM ME AGAIN!"

She raised wand even as she said, "_Avada Ked -"_

The flash of green light sparked but never came. Neville stepped in front of everyone and shouted, "_Stupefy!"_ The force of his spell sent Justice flying backwards. It was almost as if they all were watching her fall in slow motion and then, suddenly she was down, but not alive. As part of the décor for the tent, the company had included suits of armor with their swords displayed out in a sign of respect. Neville's spell had caused Justice to fly backwards and slightly up off her feet so that when she came down, she was impaled on one of the swords.

There was a sudden flaring of motion as Bill, George and Fred rushed forward. Draco and Harry went next while the woman tried to prevent Abby and Aria, who had come over to join the others, from seeing anymore. Neville was the only one to remain standing still, too shocked to say anything or move. Bill, Fred and George moved aside so Draco and Harry could come forward. Draco looked into Justice's blank eyes and felt a small stab of sympathy.

He looked at Harry. "She wasn't right, you know, but I don't think she deserved death either."

"No," Harry agreed. "I think Neville doesn't trust in the strength of his spell casting at times."

Draco glanced to where Neville still stood, motionless. "I don't think we should let him see this."

"Nor do I," Harry replied. "George, will you please take Neville and the girls outside."

George did not answer but turned and started herding everyone out. Once they were gone and George had returned Harry said, "We have to get her down."

Gently the five men pulled Justice's body off the sword and laid her down upon the carpeted runway. The stood around her body for a long minute until Bill said, "How are we going to handle this? Everyone who was here saw who they thought was Hermione going insane."

"We'll tell people the truth," Harry said warily. "We'll let them see the truth. This was Voldemort's final act of revenge."

"Why do you say it was him behind it?" Draco asked, since he was thinking something else entirely.

"I don't," Harry said gravely. "But I want this kept under control until we figure out who the woman is Justice mentioned and who tortured her so badly she lost her mind."

"Then we had better get started," Fred, said quietly.

Hours later as Harry, Draco, Ginny and Hermione sat around the fireplace in Draco's penthouse, they discussed the subject more.

"I don't think Justice was the major player behind this," Harry told the others. "She was someone's puppet."

"I agree with that," Ginny said, "But who wants to hurt Hermione?"

"Whoever it is has no regard to Abby's wellbeing," Hermione said quietly.

"What makes you think that?" Harry asked confused.

"Whoever is behind Justice's twisted thinking did not care if Abby lived or died," Hermione explained. "If Justice had truly believed she was me, she would have believed Abby was her daughter and would not have used her as a shield today. Whoever is behind this had Justice convinced that Draco would not care if Abby lived or died."

Draco interrupted, "Which means that whoever's behind this just wants to clear the path to me."

"So whoever is behind this wants Abby and Hermione out of the way," Harry mused aloud. "Pansy Parkinson?"

Draco shook his head. "No, it won't be her. She's not smart enough for something this in depth."

"It's got be someone who works for the Ministry," Ginny said suddenly.

"Why?" Harry and Draco asked at the same time.

"Because," Hermione answered for Ginny, "this person, and it's a woman, had to have access to the files inside the Ministry. This woman has been planning this for a very long time, but in order to scheme and plan for this long, they had to have access to the files that told the story of Justices origins."

"Why couldn't this person simple have stumbled upon Justice?" Harry asked. However, in the next breath he answered his question. "Ah, I see. Justice said the woman had claimed to have been looking for her, which tells us that this woman knew about Voldemort's plans concerning his look-a-likes."

"So we're looking for a former Death Eater, who was never caught or convicted, but who remains at large - Why are you shaking your head at me, Hermione?" Ginny asked.

"Because, this person, this woman, does not have to be a Death Eater at all," Hermione replied. "She only has to be someone who works for the Ministry, has access to files, and who desires Draco for herself."

"Isabelle," Harry blurted.

"It's not Isabelle, Harry," Hermione said sounding tired.

"No, that's not what I meant," Harry said with an annoyed look at his friend. "I only meant that she might be able to give us a list of names as to who this woman might be."

"That's a good idea," Draco said. "We can ask her-"

He stopped for Hermione was shaking her head once more.

"What now?" Harry asked.

"I know who she is," Hermione said.

"You know who she is?" Harry asked puzzled.

"You know who is behind all of this?" Ginny asked.

To everyone's shock, Hermione nodded and said, "Yes."


	33. Chapter 33

-1**Chapter Thirty-Three**

**Endings**

_Damn_, she thought as she stomped up the stairs to her study, a copy of the Daily Prophet shoved under her arm. She slammed through the study door, stalked across and sat down hard upon the chair behind the desk. Even as she flicked her wand at the study door, causing it to close with a loud bang, she slapped the newspaper on the desk in anger.

_What the hell am I supposed to do now?_ Her thoughts raced. _Justice failed. It would have been so easy to kill Justice after she had killed Granger, but now what am I supposed to do since that stupid twit failed?_ The woman's eyes fell on the newspaper then; she was about to look away when the pictures below the headline, (_**HERMIONE GRANGER'S DARK TWIN KILLED DURING WEDDING DUEL)**_caught her eye.

She pulled the paper close and studied the photos. One was of a white robed wizard with a draped body floating slightly ahead of him. She ignored this photo since it held no interest for her. Instead, she focused on the second photo. Four people stood in a small group, each a couple. Harry Potter and his wife Ginny stood a little back from the second couple and she ignored them as well. It was the second couple that held her interest.

Draco Malfoy was standing near by the tent entrance, Hermione Granger in his arms. Though she would never tire of staring into Draco's handsome face, she gave him only a fleeting glance as she studied Granger. Granger would, every so often, turn her head up and stare adoringly up at Draco before burying her face against his chest again. Granger was not someone to act like the woman in the photo was acting. If anything, she would have expected Granger to stand straight and watch the proceeding affair with an expression of…

"Oh my God!" the woman breathed as the thought struck her. "That's Justice!"

_So Justice managed to pull it off after all,_ the woman thought with malicious glee._ Now, all I will have to do is lure her away from Draco at some point and make sure she never returns. I'll have to make sure she brings along that bratty kid too, that way I can make it look like 'Hermione' has skipped out again. I will of course, be there to comfort Draco in his time of need._

She laughed gleefully, the sound almost like mad cackling. She quickly stopped. She did not want anyone to hear her happiness; they might wonder what had her so pleased. What did it matter, no one was home. She let the laughter out once more for a few moments and then turned her attention back to the article. She should read it, there might be something in there that will help her implement her plan against Justice or as she was known now, Hermione Granger.

The article read:

_The happy nuptials of Draco Malfoy and Hermione Granger were horribly interrupted when a woman claiming to be the real Hermione Granger crashed the party. It has come to light that before the fall of You-Know-Who, there was a Dark plan to clone Harry Potter's best and closest friends in the hopes of getting closer the Boy-Who-Lived. The Ministry of Magic discovered these plans and put a stop to it, but not before He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named and his followers, known as Death Eaters, managed to clone Miss Granger._

_It is unknown as to why Miss Granger's Dark Twin was ever used, but we can all be thankful that this did not happen. "Who knows what the end result of the War would have been if You-Know-Who had been successful," a Ministry official reported. When asked why the Dark Twin would choose this moment to show herself, Harry Potter said this: "We believe that He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named tortured the woman calling herself Justice and the result was insanity. We may never understand what led her to this or why she has never revealed herself before now."_

_One can almost say that He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named has had one final act of revenge from beyond the grave. In fact, this is Mr. Malfoy's thought on the matter: "You-Know-Who was more determined than ever as the War waged on that Harry be killed. Before I joined Harry's forces, there were plans, plenty of plans, to bring about Harry's demise, though I was not allowed to know anything of significance since by this time, I was under suspicion. It's possible, though we'll never know for sure, since Justice is dead, that He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named planned for Justice to come at Harry when it was least expected."_

_When asked how someone who looks like Miss Granger, who is famous for helping Harry Potter defeat You-Know-Who, could go about unchecked or noticed a Ministry official said this, "We cannot constantly track every wizard and witch, it would be a violation of privacy, wouldn't it? As for this Dark Twin, we believe she lived abroad and so we would have not have even been aware of her at all."_

There was another paragraph, but she did not read the rest. It was not as helpful as she hoped. She threw the paper back on the desk and leaned back in the chair, thinking. _I have to work quickly. I can't take the chance that Justice will begin to feel guilty and confess everything to Draco. If she does that, not only is she dead, but so am I, and I refuse to let her stupidity be my death._

She smirked as she thought of the real Hermione Granger._ Always so brainy and annoying, but she never saw what was right in front of her face. Stupid twit. She won the first two times, but she lost this time and all because I managed to outsmart her this time. Now she's dead and I'll soon have Draco all to myself. I only have Justice and the brat to take care and that should rather easy._

She was still relishing in her coming victory when the front door opened and a man called out, "Honey, I'm home. Are you here?"

Her face contorted into disgust, which she quickly concealed. Plastering a simpering smile on her face she said, "I'll be right down, sweetheart."

She could not wait to rid herself of the annoying man waiting downstairs for her. The time was almost upon her. The fake smile turned into a real one at this thought. The man saw this smile as she glided down the stairs to him and kissed him on the lips. She let her lips linger lovingly against his for a moment and then pulled back. She said, "I've missed you, darling."

He smiled at her and pulled her close. "As I have missed you."

She moaned when his lips brushed her neck even as repulsion swept over her. _Soon,_ she thought, wishing she could push him away, _soon and I won't have to pretend a passion I don't feel._

"_The Ministry of Magic, Harry Potter and all other involved parties, have decided to let the matter rest since Justice (the Dark Twin) is dead and will no longer be able to hurt anyone. There were also no serious injuries from the Dark Twin's attack, a few broken bones and minor cuts was all any of the wedding guests obtained. Malfoy and Granger have decided to postpone their wedding with the date to be revealed at a later date," _Hermione finished reading the article aloud and tossed it carelessly on the stand.

A moment of silence followed and then Hermione said in a scathing voice, "Why the hell do they still refer to Voldemort as You-Know-Who? It's silly. The man's dead."

"Some fears are harder than others to overcome," Harry muttered. "They all thought he was dead the last time he fell too."

"Yes," Hermione hissed. "But this time there was proof of his death. There was a body."

Ginny waved a hand and said, "I'm not interested in the Daily Prophet or Voldemort. I want to know how you can possibly believe that Lavender Brown is behind all of this."

Ginny question reminded Draco and Harry that before the arrival of the newspaper, Hermione had announced who she believed was the culprit for everything that had happened thus far.

Harry said, trying to keep his tone natural so Hermione would not take offense, "You do know that Lavender died about four years ago, right, Hermione?"

"There's that," Draco agreed. He then added, "Not to mention the fact that Lavender had a very great dislike for me."

"That's a polite way of saying she despised the very ground you walked on," Ginny said with a small grin.

"I was trying for tact," Draco replied with a small shrug and a grin of his own.

"Nicely done," Harry said smiling.

"Thank you," Draco returned.

"Would you three be serious!" Hermione snapped.

Harry, after twenty plus years of knowing Hermione, instantly wiped the smile from his face and said, "We're serious."

"Dead serious," Ginny added, though she was not as quick to hide her grin. Hermione's stony look managed to wipe it from her face a moment later. "Hermione-"

Hermione's glacial expression stopped Ginny from saying anything more. She turned that same look on Harry, who held up his hands in a surrendering motion and said, "I'm not saying anything more, only listening, completely serious."

When she looked at Draco, he was still smiling and said, "I'll listen and try to stay serious, but if you don't make any sense, I'm taking you back to that hospital and demanding that the Muggle Healer give you a head exam."

She growled low in her throat, which caused some alarm in Harry, but before he could intervene, she had launched herself from the chair she was in and was pointing her wand at Draco. _**"YOU - GREAT - BIG - STUPID -"**_ she sputtered a moment and then continued, _**"IDIOTIC - GIT! I SWEAR TO ALL THAT IS-"**_

Draco's eyes had rounded in surprise upon Hermione's initial outburst, but now he leaped up and faced Hermione. He said, "Hermione, I was joking. Lighten up. I was trying to ease some of your tension. I didn't mean anything, I swear."

"Bad time to joke," Ginny muttered, but a cold look from Hermione had her snapping her mouth closed and keeping it that way.

Draco could see Hermione struggling to regain control over her emotions. A few minutes passed before she took a deep breath and addressed him. She said, "I'm sorry, Draco. I overreacted but -"

"She's pregnant," Ginny got up the nerve to say. "You have to expect this from time to time."

Instead of exploding Hermione actually smiled as she said, "Thank you, Ginny, for that ridiculous but happily supplied excuse."

"Ridiculous?" Ginny said incredulously. "Excuse? I don't think so. I'm an emotional fruit basket when I'm pregnant, so that was no excuse."

"Fine," Hermione relented. "Whatever. Can we please get back to Lavender?"

After they had all settled back into their seats, Hermione said, "I am aware that Lavender is believed dead. No one ever found a body and no one could ever say for sure what happened to her."

"That's all true," Harry agreed. "But that still doesn't explain why you think she's behind this."

"If you'd stop interrupting me, I could tell you why I think that," Hermione replied tartly. When they all looked at her expectantly, she said, "Right before Draco and I had our, er, falling out, I met Lavender for lunch. The entire time I was with her, she was trying to convince me Draco was still evil and couldn't be trusted. I kept trying to tell her that I knew differently, but she wouldn't listen to me. In fact, I couldn't get a word in until I blew up at her at the end and left her sitting there with her mouth hanging open."

Harry dared to interrupt. "Why does-?"

Hermione glared at him and he fell silent. "This did not seem strange since many people, at the time, still mistrusted Draco, even though the War was over. In fact, I heard, over the days following the War's end, a lot of people speculating that very thing about Draco. Some thought he really did convert to our side while others believed that he only helped Harry because he wanted to take Voldemort's place. It was this that Lavender was trying to convince me of, but I knew better, so the more she went on, the angrier I became, but something she said never quite clicked with what she was trying to sell me."

"What?" Ginny asked, her attention caught now.

Hermione explained the meeting with Lavender:

_The Three Broomsticks was packed full of people, all celebrating the end of the War. Hermione pushed her way past a group of laughing teenagers and made her way to the back where Lavender was waiting. She had to weave around a man and woman dancing before she managed to make it to Lavender's table. She squeezed into the chair across from her ex-classmate and said, "Hello. It appears that the celebrations are still going on."_

_Lavender nodded, though she looked anything but happy. Hermione said, "Is something wrong, Lavender?"_

_Lavender looked around the room and it appeared to Hermione that she was checking to make sure they were not going to be overheard. She finally looked back at Hermione and said, "I have to talk to you about something, it's important. I know you're close to Harry so I thought it best if I bring this to your attention so you could mention it to him."_

_A cold trickle slipped down Hermione's spine, but she did not let the sudden fear she felt show on her face. She said, "What is it, Lavender?"_

"_Draco Malfoy is rallying the Death Eaters and has plans to take He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named's place," Lavender said in one breathless rush._

_Hermione almost smiled, but checked herself before she let it show. Keeping her voice emotionless, she said, "I can assure you, Lavender, Draco Malfoy is not-"_

_Lavender interrupted with, "You don't understand, Hermione. I know this as a fact, not a rumor. I overheard a couple of Draco's old housemates talking about it and they were excited. While everyone's busy celebrating, Draco and his goons are plotting to overthrow the Ministry of Magic and kill Harry Potter."_

"_Lavender, I don't -"_

"_No." Lavender shook her head, making her hair fall into her face. She brushed it out of the way and said, her voice earnest, "I know everyone thinks Draco has changed, who wouldn't think that? I mean, just look at him, he's so handsome and… That's not what I mean."_

_Hermione frowned and said, "I'm sorry, did you just say-"_

_Again, Lavender prevented her from completing a sentence. She said, "Look, Draco's evil. He hides it well, underneath all that male magnetism and…" _

_Lavender looked flustered for a moment and then, screwing her face up into a look of worry mingled with disgust, she said, "Draco's planning to kill Harry, Hermione, and to take over for You-Know-Who. I can't tell you what his exact plans are because they noticed me listening and left, but I'm telling you that-"_

Hermione took a sip of water and finished her tale with, "That's when I blew up at her. I told her to grow a brain and a bunch of other mean things, but I was angry."

"'Course you were," Ginny agreed with a short nod. "I would have been as well."

Harry, who looked slightly confused, said, "And that explains why Lavender's the bad guy - er - girl, how?"

Ginny patted Harry's knee gently as she said to Hermione, "Men, so clueless, yet so cute."

Hermione actually grinned. "Couldn't have said it better."

"Well then," Draco said loudly, "please explain it to us clueless men, because I'm just as lost as Harry."

Hermione sighed loudly, but said, "Lavender referred to you twice in a positive light, even though she was trying to convince me you were evil."

When Draco and Harry continued to look puzzled, Ginny sighed. "At one point she called Draco handsome, which clearly states that she was attracted to him."

"Right," Hermione agreed. "Plus, she said you had male magnetism and by that she meant that you were charming and likable. You don't say that a man is evil in one breath and than say something positive about that person in the next breath if you truly hate the person."

Draco looked at Harry and asked, "Are you getting any of this?"

"No," Harry replied. "Are you?"

"Hell no," Draco said looking from Hermione to Ginny with a puzzled expression. "I still don't understand how this tells you that Lavender was, or is, the culprit in all of this?"

"It's rather simple," Ginny said, sounding irritable now. "Lavender had a crush on you, one that turned into obsession. She somehow found out about you and Hermione and she was trying to plant doubts inside Hermione's heads."

"That didn't work," Hermione added. "Well, not in the way she hoped."

At Ginny's quizzical look, Hermione briefly explained what Pansy had done. "So, Draco and I did end up splitting up, but to Lavender's disappointment, Draco started looking for me, which took him away from here quite often."

"So he was unavailable to her," Ginny said with a knowing nod. "This must have pissed her off."

"Okay," Harry said, rejoining the conversation. "Even if that's all true, Lavender's not here. She's believed dead and has not been seen in public for over four years."

"Maybe so," Hermione said. "She did, however, work for the Ministry of Magic before she vanished, so she had access to the files and she's had the time to search for Justice and plan this all out."

Draco was thinking back over the years and all the times Lavender had approached him but he had brushed her aside. "I think Hermione's right. It's not hard to vanish and have the world think you're dead."

"Okay," Harry said after a brief moment. "If that's the case, if Lavender really is behind this, where is she? What's she doing? How did she find Hermione in America? How are we going to find her? How -"

"Whoa," Draco said. "One thing at a time. Let's bring Neville and Isabelle back in on this. I think Isabelle will be able to help us more than she may even know."

Ginny glanced at the clock above the fireplace. "It's late now,; however, so let's call it a night and we'll ask Neville and Isabelle over tomorrow for lunch. I believe they both have the day off, so lunch shouldn't be a problem."

They all agreed to this and headed for bed.

_One Week Later_

"Are we sure about this?" Neville asked looking slightly askew, as he had just come in from outside and the wind was blowing hard.

"As sure as we're ever going to be," Harry replied.

Draco, Hermione, Neville and Isabelle had all come to Harry's house for dinner. Ginny came out from the kitchen and announced, "Dinner will be ready in one hour. Percy just sent an owl, he and Veronica will be a little late, there was a mishap at the Ministry Percy seems to think he has to deal with personally."

"Percy always thinks he has to deal with work mishaps," Harry said, rolling his eyes. "Anyhow, let's all have a seat in the living room while we wait for dinner, as well as Percy and Veronica."

The three couples moved into the living room. Ginny took a seat in a chair, while Draco and Hermione sat together on one short sofa as Neville and Isabelle did the same on the other short sofa. Harry walked to the wet bar and asked, "Does anyone care for a drink?"

He took their orders, poured the drinks and floated them to the individuals with a soft motion of his wand. He then, with drink in hand, sat next to Ginny on the arm of the chair. "Where are Abby and Aria?"

"I was about to ask the same thing," Ginny said. "It's amazing how well those two have become such fast friends. They've become inseparable."

"Yes, that they have," Hermione agreed. "I'm happy for Abby, and of course Aria. It will be nice that each one already as a great friend to attend school next year with."

"As to where they are, they're at Mum's," Draco answered. "Mother wanted Aria to return home for a bit and Abby wished to go with her."

"It's for the best, considering," Ginny murmured.

"Where are Jaime and Kevin?" Hermione asked.

"Jaime's staying the night with Bill and Fleur," Ginny explained. "Coreen and Jaime are like Abby and Aria, only, thankfully, we can separate the two every so often."

Harry said, "Kevin's at Ginny's parents'. They spoil him so he loves it there."

Draco could tell by the soft infliction in Harry's tone that he did not mind that Mr. and Mrs. Weasley spoiled Kevin.

A long sigh from Isabelle prompted Hermione to ask, "Are you all right, Isabelle?"

She grinned as she said, "Oh yes. I just can't wait for Neville and me to marry so that we can discuss our children."

That made the room chuckle softly. Hermione said, "That will be soon from what Neville has said to me."

Isabelle's smile transformed into a brilliant mask of delight when she said, "Yes. We've decided to marry at the end of this month. We want all of you to be there, of course."

"We'll be happy to come," Ginny said, getting up to hug Isabelle. After she sat back down, she turned again to Hermione. "I've been meaning to mention this ever since Harry and I discussed it."

"What's that?"

"What do you think will happen when Abby and Aria get into Hogwarts and are in separate Houses?" Ginny asked curiously.

"I don't think it will matter to those two," Draco answered instead of Hermione.

Hermione said, "I've never given it much thought, to be honest." She looked over to Draco, "Why don't you think it will matter?"

"I have a feeling that whichever House Abby ends up in, Aria will follow," Draco said with a shrug.

"Well, she really can't just choose her House, can she?" Neville asked. "I mean, the Sorting Hat does that, right?"

"Not necessarily," Harry said with a small grin. "I had heard so many negative things about Slytherin House that when the Sorting Hat was considering putting me there I asked it not too. That's how I ended up in Gryffindor."

"Really?" Neville asked surprised. "I never knew that."

"Didn't want it known, back then, that I could have ended up a Slytherin," Harry said with a small shrug.

"Draco, I still don't understand what makes you think Aria will follow Abby," Hermione said. 

"I overheard them talking about it the other day," Draco replied. "They've done their research. They know that the Sorting Hat places them, that each student is called in alphabetical order and that it's possible to influence the Hat's decision."

Harry laughed suddenly, cutting Draco off from saying anything more. When he saw everyone looking at him he said, "Sorry. I was just remembering my first day. We, that is, Ron and I, didn't have a clue how the Sorting happened. Fred and George had told Ron that he had to wrestle a troll. I remember thinking that I hoped it wasn't something like that because I doubted I would get into any House since I didn't know a single magical spell."

"Then, when we were told what would Sort us, I believed, with my whole heart that Professor McGonagall would put the Hat on my head and it would scream for all to hear that there had been a mistake and I didn't belong there at all," Harry finished with another laugh.

Ginny said, amused, "I can't believe you thought you would have to fight a troll."

Hermione changed the subject back to Abby and Aria. "So Aria's plan is force the Sorting Hat to place her into the House Abby's placed in?"

"That's their plan," Draco agreed.

"You know," Harry said. "I'm curious. I've heard that every single Malfoy has always been in Slytherin. What about when a Slytherin marries a Gryffindor?"

Draco shrugged, unconcerned. "It doesn't mean a thing. Abby has a good chance of getting placed in any of the four Houses."

"So you're saying you won't be upset if she ends up in Gryffindor, rather than your old House?" Neville asked.

"Abby will still be my daughter, no matter which House she belongs too," Draco confirmed.

"How about you Hermione?" Ginny said. "What do you think about this?"

"The same as Draco," Hermione said.

She was not able to say anything more just then because Percy and Veronica arrived. There were greetings all around before Ginny announced that dinner was ready. Eight people filed into the dining room and sat down as Ginny began bringing in the dishes of food. After she had finished, she took a seat next to Harry. "Let's eat."

After dinner, they all gathered back in the living room for after dinner drinks. When everyone sat, Harry said, "Well, I have some great news."

"What's that?" Ginny asked.

"I've decided to take that position at the Ministry of Magic," Harry announced.

"You have!" Percy exclaimed. "That's wonderful, Harry. What post will you have?"

"Well," Harry said looking from Percy to Veronica and back, "It's a new position the Minister has designed for me. I'll be the head of the department, which we have decided to call Magical Tracking and Capture of Dark Arts and Wizards. It's sort of a branch off from Magical Law Enforcement and the Auror's Office."

"What will you be doing?" Neville asked.

"Well, in light of recent events, it's come to my attention that a lot of Voldemort's ex-supporters are still at large," Harry explained. "I've decided to make sure that every single one of them is brought to _justice_ even if that means finding them guilty of other deeds. Of course, I won't be just tracking ex-Death Eaters. My division will also be tracking any Dark Magic we can. It's all rather technical, but one of the first things that we'll be looking into is the use if I_Polyjuice Potion/I_."

"_Polyjuice Potion_?" Percy asked with a frown. "What's so Dark about that?"

"I learned how useful the potion could be in my second year when Ron and I used it to question Draco," Harry announced.

"What!?" Draco yelled in surprise. "What do you mean you and Ron used it to question me?"

"Oh," Harry said and grinned. "Hermione never told you?"

"No," Hermione said. "I actually forgot all about it."

"Well, if you remember Draco, our second year was when the Basilisk was released," Harry told him. "We thought it might have been you, so Ron and I disguised ourselves as Crabbe and Goyle and-"

Draco stopped him. "I remember that. I always wondered why Crabbe and Goyle couldn't remember feeling ill that day."

"Okay, never mind the memories," Percy interrupted. "What about this potion, Harry, makes you think it's dangerous?"

"Like I said it does have its uses," Harry continued, "if it's in the right hands. However, in my fourth year, I learned that the bad guys could use the stuff rather well too. Mad-Eye Moody, for instance, was not Mad-Eye that entire year, but was in fact Barty Crouch Jr. After all this and other incidents that I don't think we need to bring up, I've decided that the Ministry of Magic, particularly my department, will have full control over the use of _Polyjuice Potion_."

Isabelle said, "How can you possibly regulate the control of a potion that is widely known? It's not as if you can simply ban it or make it illegal. People are going to use it, regardless."

"Ah," Harry said loudly. "But I haven't told you the best part."

"What would that be," Percy asked.

"With Draco's help, who will be joining be at the Ministry, by the way," Harry began, "We have invented a device that will not only allow us to detect when _Polyjuice_ is being brewed, but when it's being used."

From the corner of his eye, he saw Percy give a little jerk and Draco said, "It's a wonderful device. All one has to do is point the invention at someone and that person immediately returns to their original form."

Percy suddenly jumped up and said to Veronica, "Come on, dear, I forgot that we have an early morning ahead of us. We best be going."

Veronica stood obediently, but before she could do much more than take a step, Harry had Percy up against the wall, his wand pointed at his throat. Ginny jumped up and pulled Veronica out of harm's way as Draco sprang forward to help Harry with a struggling Percy. Draco snatched Percy by the scruff of his neck and pressed him into the wall as he said, "Quickly, Harry, bind him."

Harry flicked his wand and Draco stepped back as a _Full Body Bind _snapped Percy's body in place. Percy's arms snapped to his side and he stood rigidly on the spot in which Harry and Draco and placed him. It was as if invisible ropes were holding him in place though he was still able to talk. "What's the meaning of this? You can't do this to me. I'm a Ministry employee."

"We just have, Lavender," Draco snarled.

"I'm confused," Isabelle said slowly. "I thought Veronica was Lavender. But why have you got Percy bound up?"

"It's simply complicated," Harry said with a tight smile. "We figured out that Veronica was in fact Lavender, who used _Polyjuice Potion _for the last couple of years so that everyone would think she was dead."

"Wait, Harry," Ginny said and pointed at Veronica. "Please fix Percy."

"Oh yeah, sorry," Harry said. He pointed his wand at the figure of Veronica who slowly twisted and melted until it was Percy once again. He continued with his explanation, "See, we figured that all out easily enough, but what we did not count on was Lavender being as smart as she was. See, we invited Percy and Veronica here tonight to expose Veronica's true identity but something wasn't right about it but there wasn't a chance for any of us to talk so Draco and I went to plan B."

"Plan B," Hermione said faintly.

"Hmm, yes," Draco picked up the story from there. "See, Harry and I wanted every possible contingency covered. When Percy and Veronica showed up and something felt off about them, we decided to announce Harry's plan to join the Ministry - which he has no intention of doing, by the way."

"Hell no," Harry agreed. "Anyhow, when I mentioned that Draco and I had invented a new device to reveal the use of _Polyjuice Potion_, the truth was revealed. Somehow Lavender expected a trap tonight so she used the _Imperius Curse _to force Percy to take _Polyjuice Potion _transforming him into Veronica and she took some making her the image of Percy."

"Right," Draco said. "See, she thought that as long as she played her cards right, nothing would happen to her because we would all think she was Percy."

"So if we exposed Lavender as Veronica, we would be tossing the real Percy around, rather than Lavender?" Isabelle said, still looking slightly puzzled. "It's all so confusing."

"It is," Hermione agreed. "So let's make it simple. Lavender, who has pretended to be Veronica for the last few years, came here tonight as Percy and Percy came here as Veronica, only Percy, the real one, is under the _Imperius Curse _so he hasn't a clue as to what's going on right now. Lavender, however, knows exactly what's happening, because she's behind this whole messy affair."

"Why couldn't they explain it like that," Isabelle sighed. "That made much more sense."

Harry and Draco exchanged dry looks but ignored the slight insult to their brainpower. Instead, Draco said, "_Anyhow_, Lavender is really under there, so let's make her come out."

He aimed his wand at her and she melted into Lavender Brown. The real Percy was still standing submissively beside his sister. Ginny said, "He needs to know the truth."

Harry agreed and after a quick spell, Percy was looking about the room in bemusement. Finally, he said, "Um, how did I get here?"

Ginny quickly went over the details and then said, "So, Veronica is actually Lavender, as you can see. She's been behind the attacks on Abby and Hermione, by way of Justice."

Lavender sneered, "I would have had it all if that twit hadn't decided she really was Hermione."

Percy blinked at Lavender, "You…" His face twisted into disgust. "God, you're twisted. I thought things were funny at times, but I just assumed it was… Well, I don't rightly know what I thought at the moment, but let me assure you, _Lavender_, I will not help you out of this."

To his sister, he said, "I don't care to witness anymore of this. I will be at home if you, any of you, should need me."

Before anyone could stop him, he was gone. "It's going to tear him up as soon as it really hits him," Ginny predicted sadly.

"I don't think I understand why this woman, Lavender, married Percy if who she really wanted was Draco," Isabelle said quietly. "That part still is a little odd for me."

"That part is easier to explain," Hermione said. "See, Lavender knew that before she could allow Justice to take my place she would have to make sure I was really out of the way. In order to do that, she needed to get in close to the Weasley family and in doing that, she got in close with Harry, who everyone knows is my best friend."

"She had to wait until Hermione either came back or Draco found her, which he did, though by accident," Harry picked up the tale. "But how Draco and Hermione were reunited is irrelevant. After coming face to face with Draco for the first time in over ten years, the first thing Hermione did was contact Ginny, who inadvertently let it slip to Veronica as they chatted one day."

"See, as we considered Lavender as a possibility for the person behind it all, we kept returning back to one person, Veronica." Hermione explained. "Veronica was the only person Ginny talked to, other than Harry, who could have known where I was. Ginny didn't mean to reveal where I was, but she did and as a result, Veronica sent Justice to Wisconsin, but we don't need to go into all that since we all know what happened there."

"Yeah, Abby managed to get away and everyone came back here," Ginny said. "Then, when Justice tried to take Abby from Hermione's home, they moved in with Draco. But before that, Veronica was one of the few people that knew Hermione was back and moving into her parent's old home. Veronica's name popped up again when we thought about the list of people who knew of Hermione and Abby's move to Draco's and it came up again when we went over all the details of Hermione's kidnapping."

"Veronica told Percy she was going to the Ministry of Magic, but in reality she went to meet with Justice," Harry told Isabelle, who was listening intently.

She asked, "How do you know that?"

"Hermione heard a woman talking to Justice," Draco spoke up. "Harry managed to get a recording of Veronica's voice using a spell and played it back for Hermione. She recognized the voice instantly."

"But what really nailed it shut," Hermione said, eyeing Lavender coldly, "is that Lavender had her picture taken with Justice. We found it inside the warehouse when we went back late last night to look for clues of the other woman's identity. See, the thing was that although everything was pointing at Veronica, it was Lavender I suspected. Even the photo was of Veronica and Justice."

"So just to get this straight, Veronica is Lavender Brown no matter what form she's currently in?" Neville asked, speaking for the first time.

"Right you are," Ginny agreed.

Draco, who had been watching Lavender, snorted as tears welled up into Lavender's eyes. She said to him, sounding mournful, "Your father should have made you promise to protect me, not her. She's nothing but a freak."

Draco froze. "What did you just say?"

Lavender, thinking she had an edge, said coyly, "You promised to protect me. You told your father -"

"Liar," Draco growled. "I promised to protect a woman, yes, but she was Muggle-born. She was…"

Draco's tone trailed away as something dawned on him. He turned bright, shocked eyes on Hermione. She said, sounding worried, "What is it, Draco?"

"He meant you," Draco breathed.

"Huh?" Hermione said, puzzled.

"My dad, he meant you," Draco repeated. "You're the one I was supposed to protect and keep safely out of Voldemort's arms."

"NO!" Lavender screamed. "It should have been me. I'm the one you love-"

Ginny moved slightly and suddenly, though Lavender continued to move her mouth, no sound emerged. She said to Draco, "Go on."

"It all makes perfect sense now," Draco said. "Lavender is the one who led my father to Snape, who in turned led the Ministry of Magic to the experiment Voldemort was working on. It's how she knew that it was you Voldemort was trying to clone, and it's how she knows about the promise. My father wanted me to keep you safe, Hermione."

"But your father hated me," Hermione said perplexed.

"No, not really," Draco admitted. "In the end, Father hated what it was costing the Wizarding community more than anything else. I don't think he realized when he signed on as a Death Eater exactly how far Voldemort was willing to go to earn power and control. In the end, he was secretly fighting against his master in the hopes that Harry would defeat him once and for all. I didn't realize that for many years later, but after I understood that, it's easy, at least now, to see that he wanted me to keep you safe. In doing that, I was, without knowing it, keeping Voldemort's plans from happening."

Hermione smiled warmly at her future husband. "Well, I guess that's one more thing you can lay to rest."

Draco nodded and hauled her up into his arms. "It is, isn't it? Wow!"

"Yeah, but you also saved her from Voldemort himself," Harry said.

"What?" Draco asked, not understanding.

"At the last battle," Harry explained, "Hermione was in a direct path of Voldemort's wand. I was too far away to get to her, only just as Voldemort sent the spell her way, you flew at her and knocked her off her feet. You didn't see Voldemort because at that same moment ,another Death Eater had sent a spell her way, and that was the reason you pulled Hermione out of harm's way. The spell, the _Killing Curse _meant for Hermione, flew over the both of you and killed one of his Death Eaters instead. He was really intent on getting you both at that point, but that's when I finally came face to face with him and, well, we all know what happened then."

"Yes we do," Ginny mumbled as she wrapped her arms around Harry.

Hermione leaned up into Draco's ear and whispered, "The past is finally done with and we can both move on with one another."

Draco kissed her softly before whispering back, "I'm glad it was you."

Isabelle's question of, "What happens now?" interrupted the tender moment.

Harry shook his head, smiled and said, "We wait for the next adventure to come along."


	34. Chapter 34

-1**Epilogue**

**One Year Later**

Draco slid the envelope across his desk with the tip of one finger. He did not pick it up right away, though, already knowing what was inside and not really wanting to read it just yet. Reading the same report each time Callahan sent one along was a draining experience. Inside the sealed envelope was the quarterly report on Lavender Brown and he was not yet ready to read of her progress or lack there of. He had never thought there would come a day when Lavender Brown would evoke a sympathetic twinge inside him, but over the last year, that was exactly what had happened.

Lavender was not in Azkaban for her crimes, but resided at St. Mungo's on the fifth floor on the same ward as Neville's parents, only she was in a single room since she was considered dangerous to others. The Ministry had tried to convict Lavender, but during the course of her trial, it was determined that she was not quite mentally stable and was sent off to the Healers for care.

Since her arrival at the Magical Hospital, Lavender's mental instability had become even more apparent when she attempted to escape while screaming that she had to kill Justice before she harmed Draco. The Healer caring for Lavender, a bloke named Callahan, had confessed to Draco that he believed that many of Lavender's problems stemmed from an abusive childhood. However, the most Callahan had been able to extract from Lavender was that her father had often abused her while her mother had stood by indifferently.

Eventually the treatment she received from home made her snap. Later, she had transferred the confusion of both loving and hating her parents onto others. This confusion had led her to hate Hermione and believe herself in love with Draco. Though Draco did not recall the incident, Lavender had confessed to Callahan that there was a time in their sixth year that he had been nice to her and she knew then, that he must have secretly loved her. Draco could not recall most of his sixth year since that time in his life had been one confusion and a sense of loss.

Lavender's hatred for Hermione on the other hand had started when Ron had broken it off with her, also in their sixth year. Lavender believed in her twisted way, that Ron had dumped her for Hermione, even though the two had not started dating until a year later. Lavender's dislike for Hermione had intensified even further when she had stumbled across Hermione and Draco locked in a stolen embrace during the last weeks of the war. She had not led on that she knew about them, but had instead tried to convince Hermione that Draco was evil in the hopes she would break it off with him.

Draco finally picked up the envelope. With a heavy sigh, he opened the envelope, slipped the single piece of parchment out and began to read.

_Dear Mr. Malfoy,_

_I deeply regret to inform you, once more, that Miss Brown has made very little progress in her mental recovery. Since my last report, Miss Brown still maintains that Justice is alive and that she has replaced Mrs. Malfoy. She also still believes that Mrs. Malfoy is responsible for her current set of circumstances and that you will one day see that Miss Brown is, in fact, your true love. She also refuses to accept the fact that you are happily married or that you wish her to get well._

_I am sorry to say that she still refuses to discuss the abuse she suffered at the hands of her parents. As I have told you before, I truly think that Mr. Brown used the Unforgivable Curses on his daughter, which bent her mind and made her into the unstable person she is today. As mentioned before as well, I truly think that if Mr. and Mrs. Brown were still alive today, seeing them, would almost surly send Lavender into a shock that might bring her around. Unfortunately, this option is not opened to us and all we can hope for is that treatment and care will help Miss Brown._

_I must assure you, however, that this process of healing the mind often takes years of work, so I don't expect instant results. Nor do I expect to see much more progress for many months, even years. I am positive that Miss Brown will progress and eventually regain some sanity but this will take time and patience. It will also take Miss Brown admitting that she needs help, which will come in time and will be the first step in the right direction. Until this time, I will continue treating her and counseling her in the hopes that she will see that this path is open to her._

_As always, I hope you and your family are in good health._

_With regards, _

_Healer C. Callahan_

Draco was refolding the letter when Hermione walked into his office, four-month-old Sidra cradled in her arms. She came over to Draco and passed Sidra to him. As he took his daughter from Hermione, he said, "Hey there, pretty baby. " Sidra smiled up at her father, making his chest swell with love and he had to force it back down before it choked him.

As he looked up he noticed that Hermione was holding a couple of envelops in her hand. He asked, "What's that?"

She held the envelopes aloft so he could see the front side. "From Abby and Aria, they just arrived," she replied, plopping her backside on the corner of his desk. "I thought I'd read them aloud."

"Great," Draco said as he made a funny face at Sidra who grinned and waved an arm happily. He said, "She looks just like you, Hermione."

"Who? Abby?" Hermione asked, distracted with opening the first letter.

"No, not Abigail," Draco replied dryly. "Sidra. She looks just like you."

Hermione smiled adoringly at her husband and daughter as she said, "You've mentioned that at least every day since she was born."

"I like to state the obvious," Draco said with a small shrug.

"Ha," Hermione snorted. "You just want it to be true. Throughout my entire pregnancy, you repeatedly said you hoped the baby looked like me, no matter if it were a boy or a girl."

"That's perfectly true," Draco admitted. He than added, "But it's also a fact. She's got the brown hair and amber eyes so she looks like you."

"I keep telling you this, but you won't listen. Abby had dark hair until she was about a year old and then it lightened and became blondish, just not as blonde as you have. The only thing that won't change is the eye color," Hermione told him. "Now, do you want me to read these letters or not?" 

Draco repositioned Sidra so that her head rested on his shoulder and said, "Read on. Listen up Sidra, Abigail's sent us a letter." The baby cooed and Draco smiled.

Hermione cleared her throat and started to read.

_Dear Family,  
_

_I'm a Gryffindor. The Sorting Hat did consider me for Slytherin and Ravenclaw, but in the end settled on Gryffindor. Uncle Charlie is thrilled over this, but I told him that I would have been pleased no matter which house I was placed. He laughed over that and patted my head, silly man._

_Anyhow, the first week here has been stupendously terrific. Homework has been a breeze just as Dad said, but then, I have to admit that reading the textbooks before arriving has helped in that area._

"Just like her mother," Draco commented softly.

Hermione merely rolled her eyes and continued to read.

_My favorite subject, as of right now is Potions, but only because I think it will challenge me a little more than the others will. By my seventh year, this might change but as Professor Frost said, "One can never know which direction their interest shall run off in until such a time as all things have been tested." A strange man, but I like him._

_Wicker is simply in love with the people here. Of course, that might have a lot to do with the fact that wherever he goes he gets attention. He is the only dog here and it appears he has become a sensation among everyone, including the teachers. He's becoming spoiled and that's not such a good thing in my opinion, but what can I do, forbid anyone from adoring him? I don't think it would go over very well if I were to do that. Anyhow, his silly grin has become a permanent feature since our arrival._

_I was invited to tea and cake with Professor Snape yesterday. I had a nice time. It was interesting to meet Professor Snape, whom I have heard so much about over the years. He has asked me to say hello to the two of you and so I have. He also informed me that the both of you were excellent students and he expects me to do just as well, only with less rule breaking than you two. I assured him that I would outshine you both in studies, but refused to promise I would never break a school rule. After all, Dad, you did tell me once never to make a promise I might not be able to keep._

Hermione looked over the letter at her husband. He grinned and said, "What? I can't have Abigail telling fibs, right?"

"Whatever, Draco," Hermione muttered and retuned to the letter.

_Anyhow, I'll write again soon. My first flying lesson is on Monday and I'll be sure to send off a note letting you know how I did. Tell Sidra and Lucian not to forget me. I'll see you all over the holidays. Love you all._

_Love _

_Abby (never Abigail) Malfoy_

Draco chuckled upon hearing Abby's closing. "Someday she'll love that name."

"She's been telling everyone who would listen that her name was Abby since she was two," Hermione replied. "I don't think that day will come."

"We'll see," Draco said, rubbing Sidra's back in a slow soothing circle since she was starting to doze off.

Hermione did not comment but opened Aria's letter and read a loud.

_Dear Draco and Hermione,_

_First off, tell Sidra and Lucian I said hello, please._

_Well, Mum's in tears, dear brother. I'm a Gryffindor. Mum's not crying because I'm a Gryffindor though. She says she's thrilled that someone in the family managed to break the dreary Slytherin tradition and get placement in another house. Therefore, I can only conclude that her tears are ones of joy. Dad says he's pleased for me, but I think he wanted me to be in Hufflepuff like he was when he was at Hogwarts. Hayden, as you know is in Slytherin, so I think Dad wanted at least one of us in his old house. Oh well, I can't change what is. Oh, and Draco, I did not have to command the Sorting Hat as you thought I would; it immediately placed me in Gryffindor without me thinking a thing._

_Hogwarts is terribly terrific as I'm sure Abby has already mentioned. I attended the tea and cake with Abby at Professor Snape. He's a little different and I'm not sure what I think of him, but I suppose I have the next seven years to form an opinion, so I won't worry myself over it just now._

_Hayden's acting like a prat, as usual. He's in his third year and thinks because he's older he can boss me about. I've set him straight about this by telling him that if he's not careful, he might discover himself locked up in a suit of armor. He flounced off to write a letter to Mum and Dad about my atrocious behavior. I laughed._

_By the way, Abby and I have discovered the Room of Requirement and it's just as wonderful as we thought it would be. Don't worry, neither one of us have any plans to use it for anything bad. We are trying to behave ourselves just as we said we would._

_Oh, I almost forgot - Thank you, Hermione, for the book, I love it and it's really interesting. Thank you as well, Draco, for the owl, he's gorgeous. I've named him Toomey._

_Hugs and kisses to everyone._

_Love,_

_Aria Watkins_

"I knew that no matter which house those two were in, it would be the same house," Draco said when Hermione finished reading.

"You only thought that because those two were determined to make it happen," Hermione replied, keeping her voice low since Sidra was now fast asleep.

"Yes, but also because those two are made from the same wand core," Draco returned. "You know they're bound to get into trouble sooner or later."

Hermione sighed and said, "Yeah, I know. Well, I'm just happy they made it into the same house. Could you have imagined the drama that would have ensued if that had not happened?"

Draco shuddered at the very thought. He changed the subject, saying, "Are Harry and Ginny still coming for dinner tonight?"

"Yes," Hermione said. She then explained, "They're bringing Kevin and Lacey as well. Jaime's staying with Bill and Fleur again."

"Coreen and Jaime are another Abby and Aria in the making," Draco remarked as he shifted Sidra slightly so her face was not pressed into his shoulder.

"Forget in the making, they are another Abby and Aria," Hermione retorted. "Anyhow, Neville and Isabelle have also confirmed that they'll be here. I can't wait to see Isabelle. I haven't seen her in awhile and she must be getting big now that she's in her seventh month."

"Has Neville and Isabelle expressed a preference for the sex?" Draco asked, still rubbing Sidra's small back.

Hermione did not answer right away. She enjoyed watching Draco and Sidra. It was simply amazing how well Draco had taken to fatherhood. After a moment she said, "Neither one of them care about the sex of the baby, only that he or she be healthy."

Just then, a high-pitched wail emitted from the room across the hall. Hermione smiled and said, "I knew he'd wake up as soon as she was asleep. They somehow know when the other one is sleeping."

"Here," Draco said, carefully passing Sidra's sleeping form over to Hermione. "I'll go get Lucian, you keep her asleep and maybe, if we're lucky, we can manage a few minutes of alone time before our guests arrive."

"Ha," Hermione huffed though softly in deference of Sidra sleeping. "Not until they're older will we have that again."

Draco grinned devilishly over his shoulder and said, "Oh, we'll get Mummy and Daddy time, I can guarantee that." 

Hermione chuckled, startling Sidra. As Hermione soothed Sidra back to sleep, Draco went into the nursery and gently scooped his son into his arms. As he set about changing and feeding Lucian, he thought about the last few years of his life and realized that his life was finally complete and full. There was nothing more he needed or wanted, because he had it all now.

The End


End file.
